Source : Perth Now news
Four years since he first spoke out about the horrific child sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, Your Reference Ain’t Relevant co-founder Harrison James has watched landmark reforms for victim-survivors of crime pass through NSW parliament.
On Friday, the Minns government announced sweeping legislation that would ban good character references as a mitigating circumstance for the sentencing of offenders in all areas of crime in NSW.
“Almost four years ago I chose to speak publicly as a survivor of child sexual abuse. Today, that decision has produced nation-leading reform. This win belongs to every survivor in the country,” Mr James said.
“These reforms mean no survivor in NSW will have to sit in a courtroom and hear their abuser praised as a good person. That is hard-won dignity, but I’m not done.
“Every survivor in every corner of this country deserves the same protection, and I will fight until every jurisdiction reflects that. NSW was first, the rest will follow.”
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the Bill’s passing meant victim-survivors and their loved ones would “no longer be forced to sit in court and hear the person convicted of a heinous crime be described as an otherwise good person”.
“While I’m glad we’re finally here, it should not have taken so long for the Liberals and Nationals to listen to victim-survivors and their advocates and drop their opposition to these reforms,” Mr Daley said.
Homicide Victims’ Support Group chief executive Martha Jabour said trauma experienced by victims who navigated the court process was already “multi-generational and far-reaching” regardless of what kind of crime they had experienced.
“We are grateful that the family members of homicide victims can now be spared the further anguish of being forced to listen to associates expound the good character of the individual who has been convicted of that crime,” Ms Jabour said.
“This reform sends a clear message that the voices, dignity and ongoing trauma of victim-survivors must never be mitigated or overshadowed.”
Last month, a watered-down version of the Bill with a more narrow scope specifically targeting victims of sexual crimes was passed in NSW parliament.
At the time, the Greens and the Coalition had expressed concerns over a total rejection of the concept of good character as a mitigating factor across all crimes.
Greens MLC Sue Higginson said she was “astounded” to hear the reforms would be broadened to every type of crime shortly after the sexual crime reforms passed last month.
“The Minns Labor government wants to tell a woman who is a victim of domestic violence, who retaliates against her abuser, that she should be locked away because she is unable to put forward evidence of her good character,” Ms Higginson said.
“The parliament should not make life harder for domestic violence victims and vulnerable people, but in no uncertain terms that is what Labor intends to do.”
The scope of the reforms was also opposed by major legal groups including the NSW Bar Association, Legal Aid and the Law Society of NSW.
