SPECIALIST CENTRES SUPPORT VICTIMS Purpose-built centres are providing sexual assault victims with a more supportive and efficient process from the time of reporting to the closure of their case. Hayley* stands quietly in a queue at her local police station. As she waits she looks at the police officer behind the counter and rehearses what she is going to say. When she reaches the front of the line, Hayley whispers her request and asks to talk to someone about a sex assault she has experienced. It is the first time Hayley has ever told anyone and the first time she has heard the words coming out of her own mouth and she’s worried about how her attacker will react. This is a situation faced at many police stations across the state but what happens next has drastically changed in some areas with the establishment of four Multidiscipline Centres (MDC) in Victoria.
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2015
MDCs are specially-designed to cater to the needs of victims and survivors of sexual offences and child abuse. The principal centre in Dandenong has been open for 12 months and houses Dandenong’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT), Child Protection and specialist counsellors. It also contains two purpose-built forensic medical suites and a forensic medical officer. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the Dandenong centre has victim sensitivity in mind. All those who enter are greeted with the word welcome colourfully displayed in 20 languages and the warmly-lit reception area is furnished with couches, handmade blankets and children’s toys. Dandenong SOCIT’s Detective Sergeant Jo McDonald said the centres were exclusively for victims and encouraged reporting. “In the past a victim had to go to a police station where the offender was also taken. It’s already confronting to come forward for these types of offences and this created an additional barrier,” she said.
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At Dandenong’s MDC victims have access to police, the Department of Human Services’ Sexual Abuse Intervention Team (DHS SAIT), South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault (SE CASA) counsellors, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine doctors and nurses all working together. The services are open to victims of sexual assault, regardless of their age, including children who have been sexually and physically abused. Det Sgt McDonald said victims were no longer required to travel from one location to another or forced to schedule multiple appointments, which simplified the process and increased the likelihood of victims following through with complaints. “The interagency communication is fantastic. Say we get a report that a father is sexually abusing his child, we speak to staff at DHS, share our intelligence and plan a suitable response,” she said. “If we need to bring the child back to the centre SE CASA staff are immediately available for crisis counselling and there are medical facilities if needed. “All of these options are available. It’s a way to encourage people who have never said anything about these crimes to report to us.”