Victoria to ban suppression orders for rapists following Ralph Carr, Tom Silvagni convictions under new pledge
Summary
Victoria's government plans to ban suppression orders that protect convicted rapists from having their identities revealed in court. This move follows cases where accused men used mental health reasons to keep their identities private during trials. The government also introduced new laws to address family violence and remove 'good character' references during sentencing.Key Facts
- Victoria will ban suppression orders for convicted rapists to stop hiding their identities.
- Suppression orders were originally meant to protect survivors, not offenders.
- Two cases, involving Ralph Carr and Tom Silvagni, used mental health grounds to delay revealing their identities.
- A review of suppression order rules is underway to improve court transparency while ensuring fair trials.
- The government introduced laws making coercive control a crime and removing 'good character' references at sentencing.
- The laws also strengthen protections against family violence, including making it illegal to discriminate against victims.
- The opposition party supports ending misuse of suppression orders and promises to fix related problems if elected.
- The changes respond to public concern about fairness and openness in court proceedings involving sexual assault.
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