Ensuring fairness and safety for victims of sexual violence
Jan Logie
Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice
(Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues)
TUESDAY 2
JULY 2019 MEDIA STATEMENT
Ensuring fairness and safety
for victims of sexual violence in the justice system
The Government will introduce law changes later this year to ensure that the justice system, in prosecuting sexual violence cases, does no more harm to victims and survivors.
“Everyone who has been harmed by sexual violence deserves to have justice delivered without going through more, avoidable, trauma,” says Jan Logie, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, at HELP Auckland today.
“Research consistently shows that giving evidence is the hardest part of the justice process for sexual violence victims. We know fear and anxiety about appearing in court and going through cross-examination prevents many people from reporting what has happened to them.”
The proposed law changes include:
• tightening the rules around evidence
about a complainant’s sexual history, to better protect
against unnecessary and distressing
questioning
• ensuring specialist assistance is
available for witnesses who need it to understand and answer
questions
• giving sexual violence victims the right to
choose how they give their evidence and undertake
cross-examination – for example by audio-visual link or
pre-recorded video
• recording evidence given at trial
so it can be replayed at re-trial instead of having to be
given again
• more protections for sexual violence
victims giving their victim impact statements in court,
and
• certainty for judges to intervene in unfair or
inappropriate questioning, and to address common myths and
misconceptions about sexual violence.
“These reforms are focused on that process and respond to Law Commission recommendations and reflect the calls for change that have been coming from the sector for over a decade,” said Jan Logie.
“They will make a significant difference for victims and survivors of sexual violence while ensuring trials are a fair and robust process.”
The announcement builds on the Government’s record
investment in addressing family and sexual violence in the
Wellbeing Budget, which includes funding to implement these
legislative changes, as well as providing best practice
training and education for lawyers and judges involved in
sexual violence cases.
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1907/Final_QA.pdf
ENDS