TW: SEXUAL ASSAULT
The NSW Government has announced it will recruit 48 sexual assault crisis workers amid a rise in demand for services.
The $53 million package, part of the 2023-24 NSW Budget being delivered tomorrow, is designed to fill a severe staff shortage in the sector.
There was a 36% increase in the number of people who presented to NSW Police following sexual assaults between 2011 and 2021.
Funding for nurses
The NSW Government says the funding will in part go towards hiring more Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners – registered nurses who are qualified to provide comprehensive health care to victim-survivors of sexual assault.
It will also fund sexual assault and domestic violence-trained medical officers and child protection roles.
NSW Government comments
Jodie Harrison, the Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, says “boosting the number of these important specialists means we can offer 24/7 crisis support across all parts of NSW”.
The Government hopes more “trauma-informed” collection of forensic evidence with patient consent will “support criminal investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of sexual assault”.
