Table Of ContentISBN 978-1-925289-51-0
Table of Contents
Acronyms .................................................................................................................................... 6
Executive summary ...................................................................................................................... 8
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 8
The importance of a criminal justice response ....................................................................................... 9
Issues in police responses ..................................................................................................................... 13
Police responses and institutions ......................................................................................................... 19
Child sexual abuse offences .................................................................................................................. 22
Third-party offences.............................................................................................................................. 26
Issues in prosecution responses ........................................................................................................... 31
Delays in prosecutions .......................................................................................................................... 36
Evidence of victims and survivors ......................................................................................................... 37
Tendency and coincidence evidence and joint trials ............................................................................ 40
Judicial directions and informing juries ................................................................................................ 45
Sentencing............................................................................................................................................. 48
Appeals .................................................................................................................................................. 50
Post-sentencing issues .......................................................................................................................... 53
Juvenile offenders ................................................................................................................................. 54
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 56
1.1 Terms of Reference ......................................................................................................................... 56
1.2 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 57
1.3 Criminal justice ................................................................................................................................ 58
1.4 What we have done to date ........................................................................................................... 59
1.5 Next steps ....................................................................................................................................... 67
2 The importance of a criminal justice response .......................................................................... 68
2.1 Criminal justice for victims .............................................................................................................. 68
2.2 Past and future criminal justice responses ..................................................................................... 69
2.3 Criminal justice and institutional child sexual abuse ...................................................................... 70
2.4 Operation of the criminal justice system ........................................................................................ 72
2.5 Other responses to institutional child sexual abuse ....................................................................... 78
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse page 1
2.6 Our approach to criminal justice reforms ....................................................................................... 82
2.7 Regulatory responses to institutional child sexual abuse ............................................................... 83
3 Issues in police responses ........................................................................................................ 85
3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 85
3.2 Police data ....................................................................................................................................... 87
3.3 Improvements in police responses ................................................................................................. 88
3.4 Current police responses ................................................................................................................ 92
3.5 Possible principles for initial police responses ............................................................................. 106
3.6 Encouraging reporting .................................................................................................................. 112
3.7 Police investigations...................................................................................................................... 122
3.8 Investigative interviews for use as evidence in chief .................................................................... 127
3.9 Police charging decisions .............................................................................................................. 139
4 Police responses and institutions ........................................................................................... 144
4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 144
4.2 Police communication and advice ................................................................................................ 144
4.3 Blind reporting to police ............................................................................................................... 160
5 Child sexual abuse offences ................................................................................................... 172
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 172
5.2 Development of current offences ................................................................................................. 173
5.3 Persistent child sexual abuse offences ......................................................................................... 175
5.4 Grooming offences ........................................................................................................................ 195
5.5 Position of authority offences ....................................................................................................... 206
5.6 Limitation periods on criminal prosecutions ................................................................................ 209
6. Third-party offences ............................................................................................................. 214
6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 214
6.2 Case study examples ..................................................................................................................... 215
6.3 Failure to report ............................................................................................................................ 218
6.4 Failure to protect .......................................................................................................................... 240
6.5 Offences by institutions ................................................................................................................ 246
7 Issues in prosecution responses ............................................................................................. 255
7.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 255
page 2 Criminal justice consultation paper
7.2 Prosecution guidelines in relation to victims ................................................................................ 256
7.3 Witness Assistance Services .......................................................................................................... 262
7.4 Possible principles for prosecution responses .............................................................................. 271
7.5 Charging and plea decisions .......................................................................................................... 279
7.6 DPP complaints and oversight mechanisms ................................................................................. 292
8 Delays in prosecutions ........................................................................................................... 325
8.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 325
8.2 The extent and impact of delay .................................................................................................... 326
8.3 Examples of current approaches .................................................................................................. 330
8.4 Possible options to address delay ................................................................................................. 335
8.5 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 344
9 Evidence of victims and survivors .......................................................................................... 346
9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 346
9.2 Examples from Case Study 38 ....................................................................................................... 348
9.3 Complainants’ Evidence Research ................................................................................................ 355
9.4 Special measures in Australian jurisdictions ................................................................................. 357
9.5 Other courtroom issues ................................................................................................................ 363
9.6 Other jurisdictions......................................................................................................................... 376
9.7 Possible reforms ............................................................................................................................ 379
10 Tendency and coincidence evidence and joint trials.............................................................. 387
10.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 387
10.2 Outline of the current law........................................................................................................... 389
10.3 Examples from Case Study 38 ..................................................................................................... 400
10.4 Concerns of unfair prejudice ....................................................................................................... 413
10.5 Jury Reasoning Research ............................................................................................................. 417
10.6 Overseas approaches .................................................................................................................. 423
10.7 Opinions on the law .................................................................................................................... 434
10.8 Discussion.................................................................................................................................... 446
11 Judicial directions and informing juries ................................................................................ 451
11.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 451
11.2 Case studies and research ........................................................................................................... 453
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse page 3
11.3 Judicial directions and warnings ................................................................................................. 456
11.4 Juries’ understanding and reasoning .......................................................................................... 469
11.5 Possible options for reform ........................................................................................................ 472
12 Sentencing .......................................................................................................................... 486
12.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 486
12.2 Sentencing research .................................................................................................................... 487
12.3 Purposes and principles of sentencing ....................................................................................... 491
12.4 Penalties available for child sexual abuse offences .................................................................... 495
12.5 Sentencing factors ...................................................................................................................... 496
12.6 Possible areas for reform ............................................................................................................ 501
13 Appeals ............................................................................................................................... 514
13.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 514
13.2 The impact of appeals on victims and survivors ......................................................................... 515
13.3 Research on appeals ................................................................................................................... 517
13.4 Issues in relation to appeals........................................................................................................ 518
14 Post-sentencing issues ......................................................................................................... 530
14.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 530
14.2 Adult offender treatment programs ........................................................................................... 531
14.3 Extended sentences .................................................................................................................... 538
14.4 Risk management on release ...................................................................................................... 544
15 Juvenile offenders ............................................................................................................... 547
15.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 547
15.2 Data on juvenile offending .......................................................................................................... 548
15.3 Age of criminal responsibility ...................................................................................................... 550
15.4 Reporting and investigating juveniles ......................................................................................... 553
15.5 Prosecution of juveniles .............................................................................................................. 555
15.6 Sentencing of juveniles ............................................................................................................... 559
15.7 Risk management issues ............................................................................................................. 566
Appendix A: Glossary ............................................................................................................... 570
Appendix B: Victoria Police information ................................................................................... 579
page 4 Criminal justice consultation paper
Appendix C: NSW Police Force Standard Operating Procedures for Employment related child abuse
allegations ............................................................................................................................... 590
Appendix D: JIRT Local Contact Point Protocol ...........................................................................596
Appendix E: NSW Police Force information on blind reporting....................................................609
Endnotes ..................................................................................................................................620
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse page 5
Acronyms
AFP – Australian Federal Police
AIC – Australian Institute of Criminology
ALRC – Australian Law Reform Commission
BOCSAR – Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in New South Wales
CASA – Centre Against Sexual Assault in Victoria
CCTV – Closed Circuit Television
CJ – Chief Justice
COPS – Computerised Operational Policing System in New South Wales
CPS – Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales
CWS – Child Witness Service
DHHS – Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria
DPP – Director of Public Prosecutions
FACS – Family and Community Services in New South Wales
HMCPSI – Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in England and Wales
JA – Judge(s) of Appeal
JIRT – Joint Investigation Response Team in New South Wales
J – Justice / Judge
JJ – Justice(s) / Judge(s)
JRU – JIRT Referral Unit in New South Wales
KiDS – Key information and Directory System in New South Wales
MDC – Multi-Disciplinary Centres in Victoria
MIST – Multi-agency Investigation and Support Team in Western Australia
NGO – Non-government organisation
NSW LRC – New South Wales Law Reform Commission
NSW SOPS – New South Wales Police Force’s Standard Operating Procedures for Employment
related child abuse allegations
page 6 Criminal justice consultation paper
OCSAR – Office of Crime Statistics and Research in South Australia
ODPP – Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
OPP – Office of Public Prosecutions in Victoria
POI – Person of Interest
QC – Queen’s Counsel
RASSO – Rape and Serious Sex Offence in England and Wales
SAPOL – South Australia Police
SC – Senior Counsel
SCAN – Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team in Queensland
SOCIT – Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams in Victoria
VLRC – Victorian Law Reform Commission
VRR – Victims’ Right to Review in England and Wales
WAS – Witness assistance services
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse page 7
