Wednesday, 21 September 2022

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Victoria Police forensic services

Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): My question is for the Attorney-General. Minister, last week the ABC reported the case of Grace Stewart, who was allegedly raped in January 2020. Following this traumatic assault Ms Stewart was forced to endure 30 hours in the soiled clothing she was wearing at the time of the attack because no forensic doctors were available. Ms Stewart was unable to change clothes or have a shower and had to travel across Melbourne before she could have a medical examination the next day. This was not an isolated case. Hundreds of victims have been let down by a forensic medicine system in crisis. Minister, how is it acceptable that victims of sexual assault are left waiting for many hours in soiled and bloodied clothing before they can see a forensic doctor?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:01): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. The case involving Ms Stewart is extremely distressing and something that no victim of crime should be subjected to, absolutely. Survivors of violence should always have our support. We should always have systems in place to protect them, and I acknowledge the pain of survivors and the duty that we have to ensure that we do not exacerbate any of their experiences. Our system should be designed so that there is no retraumatisation et cetera. Not only in the first instance of the right support, I want to ensure that our system is best placed to support victims throughout a process that involves anything in relation to the criminal justice system, whether it is in relation to seeking justice, treatment or ongoing support, which we know is also important for people’s recovery. It is why we are delivering major reforms on how we deal with sexual offending, including recent legislative reform that received very good support in this chamber in relation to better protections for victim-survivors of sexual offences.

We certainly know that there is more to be done in relation to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the important role that they play. Some figures that would be relevant to the house: the recent Victoria budget allocated $46.9 million over four years and $3.2 million ongoing to support victims of sexual violence and harm. This includes $13.3 million to Forensic Justice Services, which is the service that responds to victims, particularly at the time straight after offences when people are coming forward to report them. That investment is to improve the services for these victims, including supporting VIFM to continue to deliver the essential clinical forensic medics and services that we want to be available more quickly and more often, and I have certainly sought advice from the department about what we can do to ensure that for any gaps that are in the system, particularly as have been identified through Ms Stewart’s case, if there is anything more we can do in an immediate term, that is something we should do.

Obviously when it comes to this area of the criminal justice response there is a medical component, so it is a conversation that I also want to have with the health department and the Minister for Health in relation to ensuring that we have adequate services and the right people. There are doctors that are on hand, that are on call. They do the logistics work in relation to making sure that victims of crime can be supported and have the forensic examination that is needed for the gathering of evidence. This is an uncomfortable, necessary process, and we want it done in the best, most sensitive way. I think there is also a role for nurses in relation to this service as well, and the system is something that I am interested in continuing to look at—the options going forward.

Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): Thank you for your response, Minister, but I note that you did not actually respond to how it is acceptable that this victim was waiting for so long. However, in relation to my second question, in response to the story you said you acknowledged:

… the pain of survivors and the duty we have to ensure we do not add to that pain.

We know there’s more to be done and we will continue to work with victim-survivors and experts to ensure the system is delivering the services that are needed.

You have just acknowledged that, and I thank you for that. My question is, and you just said you want to identify gaps: in terms of the experts that are talking about this, the medical, forensic doctors are saying that it should be a health-first approach—what is the advice you are getting from the health minister? Why haven’t you put it under the health system—

A member: How many questions?

Ms CROZIER: The question is: why haven’t you put it under the health system if you have been listening to these health experts—the medical, forensic doctors who have been calling out for this?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:05): Ms Crozier, I went to these issues. I explained that the criminal justice response in relation to sexual offending involves the gathering of evidence which involves really invasive gathering of evidence for victims. We want to make it as sensitive and appropriate as possible, which is why doctors are involved in relation to this. My answer to your substantive question went to the exact point that you have raised. I want to make sure that we are involving more doctors and nurses in relation to this important work, and those conversations are underway.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call Dr Cumming, I would like to acknowledge that in the gallery we have a former member of this house, Mr George Cox. Welcome.