UniSC researchers have collected community views on Queensland’s rape and sexual assault sentencing, with a report finding practices do not align with expectations nor address the needs of victim-survivors.
The research by the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit, on behalf of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council, involved focus groups with stakeholders across the state.
Led by UniSC Associate Professor Dominique Moritz, Dr Dale Mitchell and Dr Ashley Pearson, it sought community views on the importance of sentencing purposes for sexual assault and rape offences.
Those findings were referenced in the 28 recommendations outlined in the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council’s Report, Sentencing of Sexual Assault and Rape: The Ripple Effect, presented recently to the Attorney-General.
“Our findings, reflected in the recommendations, provide a deeper understanding on how the community ranks the seriousness of sexual assault and rape offences compared to other offences in Queensland, drawing upon their experiences and expectations,” Dr Moritz said.
“A notable key finding that informed one of the recommendations is that the community views sexual assault and rape offences committed against children as more serious than those committed against adults.
“This is due to the increased vulnerability, and significant ongoing harm suffered by child victim-survivors.
“Another was that harm to victim-survivors, including long-term psychological harm, needs to be properly recognised in sentencing.
“Community members also expressed the view that the seriousness of sexual offences depends upon the contextual factors of each case.
“So, the judiciary should carefully consider the specific circumstances of offending when sentencing an offender, a finding reflected in the proposed changes to how ‘good character’ evidence is considered,” Dr Moritz said.
The researchers expect further law reform in relation to sexual offence sentencing in Queensland in response to these recommendations.
UniSC’s Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit (SVRPU) aims to forge new directions in sexual violence prevention and response. The SVRPU team leads research, consultation, co-design, and evaluation activities that advance the development and refinement of sexual violence prevention strategies across many diverse settings.
