Commissioner 'deeply worried' by sexual violence trajectory

Domestic, family and sexual violence commissioner 'deeply worried' over high rates of assault In short: Australia is facing near-record-high rates of sexual violence. The number of First Nations women killed by a partner is increasing. What's next? The federal government will release its second action plan to end domestic, sexual and family violence next year. The domestic, family and sexual violence commissioner says she is "deeply worried" about the trajectory of rates of sexual violence in Australia following the release of her annual report, which has called for national attention on the issue. Micaela Cronin's report found Australians were experiencing unacceptable levels of harm within the family law and justice systems and through rising levels of sexual violence. Sexual violence in Australia reached its highest level in 33 years in 2024. Ms Cronin said the rate had dropped by less than 1 per cent in the past year and more action was needed to address the issue. "I am deeply worried about the trajectories that we're on, particularly with sexual violence, and you're right, it is absolutely increasing between young people," she told the ABC. "So we absolutely have to face up to what isn't working and identify what is working. "We've got a real problem, and we've seen that in the national conversation in the last few weeks." The issue came into national focus last month after two young boys were charged with rape in NSW. A leading violence against women scholar at Monash University, Kate Fitz-Gibbon, called the figures "frightening" and said it was a reminder to governments they had to do more to protect women and children. "I think it's certainly a call to action … some progress has been made, but there is significantly more action needed," she told ABC. The commissioner's report recommends sexual violence should have targeted and sustained national attention, but it does not outline what programs or policies are necessary. The report also recommends governments at all levels invest more in violence prevention services, arguing opportunities to "intervene earlier, support recovery and reduce future demand" were often missed. Ms Cronin said early intervention was part of the broader solution to reduce gendered base violence. "Australia has largely invested in systems designed to respond once violence reaches crisis point … These services are essential, but on their own they will not reduce the prevalence or impact of gender-based violence," she wrote in her report. Do you know more about this story? Get in touch via Signal (claudialong.01) or email [email protected] Ms Fitz-Gibbon said early intervention needed to be "multi-pronged", and schools should be given more support to identify at-risk children earlier. "We've been calling for greater attention within schools to connecting children and young people up to safety earlier to try and interrupt those trajectories of harm," she told the ABC. "School staff are not equipped; they have not been trained to provide an early intervention response for children and young people." Change needed within family law and justice systems Ms Cronin singled out the legal system as an area that needed change to better protect survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. She acknowledged there had been significant reform in family law, but said more work was needed. "We are still seeing the family law courts being a site for weaponisation, so people using the court to continue to drag out relationships and harm," she told the ABC. "There are real concerns about decisions that are being made that are putting children in harm's way." Her concerns about the legal system more broadly have been echoed by executive director of advocacy group With You We Can, Sarah Rosenberg, who herself navigated the justice system after a sexual violence incident. "Very few victim survivors report; of those who do, very few cases progress to a charge [and] these aren't individual choices, this is attrition by design," she said. Ms Rosenberg, whose organisation assists victim survivors to navigate the complex and daunting justice system, said if governments were serious about ending violence they needed to listen to the experts. "The Australian Law Reform Commission has told governments exactly what to do, give victims their own lawyers … Eighteen months on, not a single jurisdiction has fully legislated or implemented that," she said. Targets for First Nations women and children going backwards The report also collated data that showed the overall number of women killed by an intimate partner trended downwards since the late 1980's However, rates of violence against First Nations women and children have increased. Between 2019 and 2022, the rate of Indigenous children hospitalised after family violence incidents fell but has since shot up to 45 children per 100,000 — its highest level since data has been collected. Rates of intimate partner homicide of First Nations women increased in each of the two years since a baseline was established in the commissioner's first report, reaching four victims per 100,000 people in the 2024-2025 data. However, the commissioner warned it was too early to identify trends against the baseline. Ms Cronin said the experience of First Nations women and children within existing support systems was "very distressing". Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek tabled the commissioner's third report to parliament on Wednesday and said while progress had been made, she conceded not enough work had been done. "I have an incredible sense of urgency for more change," she told the ABC. Ms Plibersek also shared her own experience of assault, while also acknowledging that there are plenty of "wonderful men". "I'm a cabinet minister, I'm in a pretty powerful position, when I walk to my car at night in a dark car park, I still get my keys out at night in case someone attacks me," she said. "I've been assaulted walking home in Canberra at night." The federal government is working on the second action plan for the decade-long National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. The specific road map for how the broad aims of the national plan can be realised over the next five years is expected to be released in the first half of 2027.