Barriers to justice: 'We are still governed by the idea that women lie about sexual assault'

So few victim-survivors report to police, even fewer make it to court. What are the obstacles and where is reform required?

Sexual assault occurs at every level of Australian society, from homes, schools, to workplaces and even, allegedly, the houses of parliament. Recent events have made it explicitly clear that rape culture is still a dangerous daily reality for women all across the country.

And yet justice remains elusive for the vast majority of victim-survivors. Measurements are complex but the statistics are uniformly low – of the estimated 200,000 sexual assaults that occur in Australia each year, only 11-13% report to police, about 5% make it to trial, and about 2% result in a conviction.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/20/barriers-to-justice-we-are-still-governed-by-the-idea-that-women-lie-about-sexual-assault