The impact of delayed reporting on the prosecution and outcomes of child sexual abuse cases / Judy Cashmore, Alan Taylor, Rita Shackel and Patrick Parkinson.

Sydney, N.S.W. : Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse, 2016.

200810

Australia. -- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Child sexual abuse -- Investigation -- Australia.

Prosecution -- Australia.

Adult child sexual abuse victims -- Australia.

Preface

Executive summary

1. The prosecution of child sexual abuse

2. Aims of the research and methodology

3. New South Wales police data

4. New South Wales courts data

5. South Australian police data

6. South Australian court data

7. Comparing New South Wales and South Australia

8. The impact of delayed reporting

9. System delays

10. Conclusion

11. References

12. Appendices

13. Appendices: New South Wales

14. Appendices: South Australia

15. Appendices: Appeals study.

This report examines how the criminal justice systems in New South Wales and South Australia deal with complaints of child sexual abuse reported to the police in childhood compared with those in which the report is delayed until adulthood, which is often referred to as historical child sexual abuse. The research investigates the trends in delayed disclosure and reporting of child sexual abuse, and maps the prosecution process and outcomes associated with varying degrees of delay in reporting to the police, together with other case characteristics such as the age of the complainant victim, and the relationship between the complainant and the alleged offender.

"August 2016"

Includes bibliographical references.

Report for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

9781925289732

309 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm