BENDIGO’S three-year-old multi-disciplinary centre is feeling the strain of increased staffing for services responding to sexual assault and child abuse.
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The purpose-built building on Bridge Street houses members of the Loddon Campaspe Centre Against Sexual Assault, the Central Victoria Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, child protection services, and community nurses from Bendigo Community Health Services.
“Because of an increased focus on sexual violence and the Royal Commission into Family Violence and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, we’ve all received additional resources, which does put pressure on this facility,” Loddon Campaspe CASA chief executive Kate Wright said.
Reports of sexual assaults and child abuse have also increased in the past three years.
Ms Wright said LCCASA had received 12 reports of recent sexual assaults in the past three months, compared with a total of 20 in the past financial year.
A sexual assault is classified as recent if it has been reported to the service within 72 hours.
An increasing awareness of sexual assault and growing confidence in reporting are believed to be factors in the rising number of reports.
Central Victoria SOCIT Detective Senior Sergeant John Dalton said the discussions surrounding both Royal Commissions had assisted people to come forward.
“The demand is there and Victoria Police has provided resources to respond to the demand,” he said.
He said the multi-disciplinary centre – or MDC, as it’s more commonly called – had made it easier for its occupants to work together.
“It is literally a one-stop shop for the victims,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dalton said.
“It’s made our processes so much more efficient.”
He said having the services co-located meant matters made it to court much quicker, and police were able to intervene in concerning behaviour sooner.
Also speeding up the response was the increased availability of digital forensic services within the region, providing investigators with technological data.
“A lot of investigations involve digital analysing,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dalton said. The services were previously centralised in Melbourne.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dalton said Victoria Police was embarking on a project in the new year to analyse data from MDCs to provide greater insights into how people were using the services.
“The MDC is giving people the best opportunity to report [to police], should they want to,” he said.
The collaboration at the MDC has inspired LCCASA and SOCIT to develop a series of forums in Loddon Campaspe to address the questions they were often asked by parents and educators.
Four forums are planned – one in each term of the school year – starting with Maryborough and Echuca.
LCCASA is also looking to arrange events in Bendigo and the Macedon Ranges.
Responding to disclosures of sexual assault, talking to children and young people around consent, and technology myth-busting are among the anticipated discussion points.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dalton said there was high demand for advice on those topics.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732 or www.1800respect.org.au) or the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (1800 806 292).
For Loddon Campaspe CASA, call 5441 0430.
In an emergency, call 000.