Perpetrators of sexual assault are rarely held to account but new laws will make it easier for survivors of sex crimes, who are often retraumatised by the experience of giving evidence in court.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has introduced legislation to federal parliament giving vulnerable people, victims and survivors greater support when they seek justice.
Adult complainants will be able to access vulnerable witness protections for offences that took place while they were child, while other measures will allow for vulnerable people to give evidence by audio or video recordings.
Those recordings would be able to be used for future hearings, which aims at reducing the risk of retraumatising survivors.
Victims and survivors would also be able to share their story, either by self-publishing or speaking to the media with their consent.
Mr Dreyfus said the changes would make it easier for survivors to deal with the legal system.
"This bill is an important step towards creating better outcomes for vulnerable persons in Commonwealth criminal proceedings through strengthened protections and enhanced safeguards," he told parliament on Wednesday.
"The amendments aim to minimise the risk of retraumatisation and provide greater assurance that vulnerable persons will be treated with appropriate sensitivity when appearing as witnesses or complainants in criminal proceedings."
Evidence about a person's sexual reputation would be inadmissible for all victims as well as survivors of child sexual abuse under the new laws.
Greater restrictions will also be placed on evidence relating to a person's sexual experience.
Such evidence would need to be deemed substantially relevant to the proceedings for it to be admissible.
"This type of evidence is ordinarily too far removed from evidence of the alleged crime, for its admission to be in the interest of justice and can retraumatise vulnerable persons by victim blaming," Mr Dreyfus said.
The law changes implement recommendations of the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
