Story perspectives

Victoria to Allow Pre-Recorded Assault Testimony, Aid Victims

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Victoria will amend laws to allow pre-recorded sexual-assault testimony and protect counselling records.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny announced a letter signed by MP Georgie Purcell and Brittany Higgins urging reform of sexual-history evidence rules.
The proposal references the 2025 Australian Law Reform Commission review and the 2021 Law Reform Commission report.
Supporters claim pre-recorded testimony will cut trauma and raise reporting, noting 90 % of sexual violence in Victoria is unreported.

History

Historical Context

After President Bill Clinton signed the Violence-Against-Women Act on 13 September 1994, Congress allocated $1.6 billion to fund victim services and created the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women. The law’s coordinated, grant-based model spurred a rise in reporting and inspired Victoria Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny’s 2024 proposal for pre-recorded testimony, echoing the act’s victim-centered legacy.

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Story summary

Victoria will amend laws to allow pre-recorded sexual-assault testimony and protect counselling records.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny announced a letter signed by MP Georgie Purcell and Brittany Higgins urging reform of sexual-history evidence rules.
The proposal references the 2025 Australian Law Reform Commission review and the 2021 Law Reform Commission report.
Supporters claim pre-recorded testimony will cut trauma and raise reporting, noting 90 % of sexual violence in Victoria is unreported.

1 / 2