The government wants to ensure victims get support without fearing their counsellor will have to report to the police or face criminal prosecution
The New South Wales government is moving to amend laws that compel counsellors to report cases of sexual assault to the police because they can deter some survivors, who do not want the authorities involved, from seeking help.
The government is this week acting to reform the laws that carry a two to five-year jail sentence for failing to notify the police of a serious indictable offence. The push follows warnings from frontline rape and family violence services that the laws could be wrongly applied to their staff, or workers in companies or institutions, who receive complaints of sexual assault.
Continue reading…The government wants to ensure victims get support without fearing their counsellor will have to report to the police or face criminal prosecutionThe New South Wales government is moving to amend laws that compel counsellors to report cases of sexual assault to the police because they can deter some survivors, who do not want the authorities involved, from seeking help.The government is this week acting to reform the laws that carry a two to five-year jail sentence for failing to notify the police of a serious indictable offence. The push follows warnings from frontline rape and family violence services that the laws could be wrongly applied to their staff, or workers in companies or institutions, who receive complaints of sexual assault. Continue reading…