Calls for federal government to overhaul how courts deal with child sexual abuse

SA safety advocates are calling for the federal government to step in and overhaul how courts deal with cases of child sexual abuse, saying children could be better protected.

The Carly Ryan Foundation is fighting harder than ever after statistics shared by Websters Lawyers revealed 28 per cent of cases each day heard in South Australia’s District Court involve sexually-based crimes against children.

“There’s nothing I can do to get Carly back but what I can do on her behalf is fight for victims,” her mother Sonya Ryan said.

The foundation is calling for a national approach, taking these cases out of state hands with the creation of a Commonwealth Children’s Act.

“If it’s a matter for our states, our states are failing terribly,” Ryan said.

Alongside calls to stop perpetrators from being able to move between states is an overhaul to how courts manage child sexual abuse cases. 

“Victims are essentially called liars because that’s the job of the criminal defense attorney – to discredit them,” foundation spokesperson Liz Durdin said.

When the requests for change were put to the state government by 9News, the Attorney General Kyam Maher replied by listing achievements of the government rather than addressing the changes.

“The Labor Government has already enacted a suite of reforms… we have tightened Carly’s law… have created new laws against those accused of child sex offences… and have listened to survivors of sexual abuse and their families.”

“How’s that working out? Where is the evidence to say that the things being done right now are making any type of difference?” Durdin said.

The Federal Attorney-General pointed to a 10-year national plan and said he had asked for an inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence.

“Let’s look at changing this so we can actually protect kids instead of pretending to,” Durdin said.