Victorian law reforms would require rape-murder victim families to apply to court to publicly reveal details
Laws to be debated in Victoria's Parliament today could mean that families of rape-murder victims will need to go to court, at their own cost, before they can publicly reveal their loved one had been a victim of sexual assault at any time before their death.
Key points:
Proposed reforms have unearthed a ban on any publication of information identifying a sexual assault victim without that person's consent, living or deceased
Family members of some victims say the changes would be a "disgrace" and stop them calling for justice
But those who back the changes say it would protect family members who did not want sexual assaults revealed publicly
The proposed changes were backed late on Tuesday by the Law Institute of Victoria and the Director of Public Prosecutions. They say the courts would help decide whether publishing information is in the public interest.
But they have have outraged grieving family members, such as Eileen Culleton, who has labelled it "appalling" and a "disgrace" that will silence campaigns for justice.
"It's an absolute violation of the victim's family members' civil rights, and it's a violation of our dignity," she said.
Ms Culleton has waged a long campaign for life sentences without parole for rapist-murderers, highlighting the case of her sister Anne-Marie, who was killed in 1988.
"[Families] won't be able to call for justice, they won't be able to comment or express outrage at weak sentencing, they won't be able to speak out when the rapist-murderer makes appeals," she said.
"And they won't even be able to publicly oppose parole applications. So the victim family member is absolutely gagged."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/victoria-law-change-opposed-by-rape-murder-victim-families/12819732
Victoria now protecting rapists, unless you pay them via the corrupt court system