NCJ Number
221297
Date Published
September 2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on findings from a multidimensional study investigating sexual violence in culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) in the Commonwealth of Australia.
Abstract
Report highlights include: (1) the need for appropriate interpreters when reporting sexual violence; (2) a preference for female police officers to handle the case; (3) protection of complainants; and (4) more effective dissemination of information on how the criminal justice system processes sexual assault cases. Knowledge about sexual violence against women from indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is minimal. However, a project funded by the Office for Women (OfW) and conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) investigated the perceptions of women from indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds who had experienced sexual violence in Australia. This paper summarizes the key findings from the research which was conducted in five phases. The project involved collaborative, community-based research on sexual violence in indigenous and CALD communities. References