The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to better supporting victims of sexual offences under changes to the Criminal Code Act 1924 and Evidence Act 2001 tabled today.
The amendments will mean victims of multiple sexual offences, including children and vulnerable young people, only need to give evidence in one trial, provided the charges are under the same indictment, while also removing a barrier that prevents the prosecution from admitting evidence of multiple victims against a single accused person.
Victims of sexual assault have already suffered enough, and these amendments are common sense changes that will help make the court process easier for victims seeking justice.
It’s just one of the ways in which we are improving the justice system to better support victims of heinous sexual crimes, including our amendments to the Sentencing Act last year to increase the transparency of the sentencing process for serious sexual offences, provide better protections for vulnerable Tasmanians, and limit the circumstances in which good character and lack of previous convictions can be used in mitigation.
We are also committed to our policy of setting four year minimum mandatory sentences for serious sexual offences against a child, despite the inexcusable opposition of Labor’s inexperienced leader Rebecca White.