The “trauma-informed” court: specialist approaches to managing sexual offence proceedings - part 1

There is growing international recognition that the justice system’s response to the problem of sexual violence requires reform. This two-part series provides a snapshot of the main findings and discussion from a recent integrative literature review on specialist approaches to managing sexual assault proceedings. Part I is designed to provide a concise “primer”: an overview of the prevalence of sexual violence and, in particular, the trigger points in the justice system which are often distressing and re-traumatising for victim-survivors. This re-traumatisation contributes to low reporting rates, high attrition rates, and a felt sense by victim-survivors that the justice system is not a realistic option for them. Part II of the series presents selected findings from the review on the various specialist measures being taken internationally to improve the justice system response for victim-survivors. It 3 concludes with a compendium of recommended best practice specialist measures.