RLC has joined more than 70 organisations calling on NSW Government to remove the requirement to prove injury in Victims Support applications.
The NSW Victims Support Scheme provides counselling and financial support to victim-survivors of violent crime in NSW. But in order to receive assistance for economic loss, a victim-survivor must prove:
- that they were the victim of an “act of violence”, and
- that they were injured as a result.
Consequently, when victim-survivors apply for some aspects of victims' support, they are required to lodge two separate forms of documentary evidence to prove injury. This means victim-survivors have to repeat their story to multiple people, compounding their trauma. This creates a barrier to accessing support, which victim-survivors are entitled to and need.
We are calling on the NSW Government to remove the requirement to prove injury in Victims Support applications. Establishing an act of violence should be sufficient.
It is clear that sexual violence, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, child abuse and modern slavery always cause harm. A solution that is both trauma-informed and efficient is to remove the need to separately prove injury for all matters. Read our full letter below and sign up to support a better process for victim-survivors.
