Thursday, 17 October 2024

Ministers statements: victims of crime

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:22): I rise today to update the house on the launch of our new financial assistance scheme for victims of crime in Victoria. This morning I was pleased to announce that the new financial assistance scheme will open next month, replacing the court-based Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal. This marks the most significant reform for victims in Victoria in decades and is one example of our government delivering on our commitments. Labor keeps its promises.

The new financial assistance scheme will replace the model that has existed since state-funded assistance for victims of crime was first introduced more than 50 years ago. Under the new scheme, victims will no longer have to endure the potentially traumatic experience of attending court to access financial support. Victims will now be able to make their application online in the privacy of their own home. We are also expanding our eligibility criteria for assistance, better reflecting our modern society and the needs of our diverse community.

The new scheme also acknowledges the long-lasting impact that sexual assault and family violence can have on victim-survivors. To ensure they have the time needed to seek support, we have extended the application period to up to 10 years for those affected by these crimes. Victims will now also be able to receive a victim recognition statement that acknowledges the effects of the crime on the victim on behalf of the state. And in a national first, eligible victims will be able to request victim recognition meetings from a scheme representative on behalf of the state government.

These reforms are an acknowledgement of the immense and lasting harm felt by victims of crime and this government’s commitment to standing by them. The financial assistance scheme will ease the path to recovery, because victims of crime deserve support, not red tape. I am proud to be part of a government that is delivering on its commitments and launching this once-in-a-generation reform that will provide victims a clear path forward and help them to reclaim their lives with dignity and resilience.