NCJ Number
96634
Date Published
1984
Length
109 pages
Annotation
The eight papers in these proceedings from a 1984 Australian seminar on incest assess the effects of investigative, legal, and rehabilitative procedures on offenders, victims, and their families.
Abstract
Papers presented by a police officer and a representative from the Department of Youth and Community Services critically examine current laws and judicial procedures relating to incest cases, emphasizing that the procedures themselves are often as damaging to the victim as the crime. The next paper focuses on this theme from a feminist perspective, contending that the legal system perpetuates myths about incest that silence victims and that the system fails to recognize that it is dealing with children. Another author discusses the incidence of incest in Australia, its impact on the victim and the family, and needed changes in attitudes and procedures. Recommendations regarding the retention of incest laws from English, Scottish, and Australian commissions are examined, as are ways to stop child sexual abuse. A final paper explores the long-term effects of sexual molestation in children. The proceedings contain the terms of reference for the New South Wales Child Sexual Assault Task Force and summaries of discussions which followed the presentations.