New Measures for Combating Child Sexual Assault
Aspects of the Crime Prevention Committee's report
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September 1995
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Abstract
The author discusses aspects of a recently released Victorian report that proposes a new comprehensive model for the investigation and alleviation of child sexual assault. The report entitled 'Combating child sexual assault: an integrated model, first report' was put out by the Victorian Parliamentary Crime Prevention Committee. The Committee's report represents a shift in focus away from the current welfare model back to the stronger law and order approach, where importance is placed on bringing sex offenders to justice, and the primary child protection role is the investigation and substantiation of sexual assaults. Under this model child and family support and counselling appears to be given an important but subsidiary role. Issues addressed include: the team approach to child protection, the role of police, the role of Health and Community Services staff, perpetrators, the treatment of the offender by the criminal justice system, rehabilitation of the offender, adolescent sex offenders, and child abuse prevention.
The author discusses aspects of a recently released Victorian report that proposes a new comprehensive model for the investigation and alleviation of child sexual assault. The report entitled 'Combating child sexual assault: an integrated model, first report' was put out by the Victorian Parliamentary Crime Prevention Committee. The Committee's report represents a shift in focus away from the current welfare model back to the stronger law and order approach, where importance is placed on bringing sex offenders to justice, and the primary child protection role is the investigation and substantiation of sexual assaults. Under this model child and family support and counselling appears to be given an important but subsidiary role. Issues addressed include: the team approach to child protection, the role of police, the role of Health and Community Services staff, perpetrators, the treatment of the offender by the criminal justice system, rehabilitation of the offender, adolescent sex offenders, and child abuse prevention.