Giving victims and survivors a voice

The National Victims of Crime Conference 2017, titled Victims' Voices – Reform, Innovation and Action, was co-hosted by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (coordinated by Victim Assist Queensland), and the Griffith Criminology Institute.

The Conference explored effective ways of giving victims and survivors a voice and how their experiences are influencing and reforming innovative service and policy responses.

National Victims of Crime Conference 2017 Conference Powerpoints:

Understanding & supporting children's evidence

Child advocacy through evidence-based feedback (PDF 1004K)
Jo Bryant, Protect All Children Today Inc

Towards child-friendly justice: development of the NSW Child Sexual Offence Evidence Pilot (PDF 1151K)
Kristy Crepaldi, Victims Services NSW

Hearing child sexual victims

Childhood sexual abuse of males: A crime no-one wanted to talk about (PDF 701K)
Gary Foster, Anglicare Southern Queensland and Griffith University

One survivor's personal journey through the legal system (49.6K)
Shane McNamara, Survivors & Mates Support Network

Homicide consequences and concerns

Intimate partner femicide: Knowledge gaps and implications for policy and practice (PDF 189K)
Samara McPhedran, Griffith University

The victims voice: exploring and meeting the needs of families affected by homicide (643K)
Donna Fitzgibbon, Victim Support New Zealand

Giving victims voice: co-victims' of homicide views on murderers being released on parole (PDF 1835K)
Sarah Fletcher and Michael O'Connell, Commissioner for Victims' Rights

Responding to victimisation in geographically or cultural diverse communities

How to fix your soul; or involving Aboriginal clients' voices in DFV service planning (PDF 2124K)
Robyn Holder, Griffith University

Improving services and their evidence base

Experiences following serious violent crime and court (PDF 875K)
Holly Blackmore, University of New South Wales

Victims' rights and status in criminal justice

Hearing the Victim's Voice in the Courts- a Judge's View (PDF 96K)
Sarah Bradley, Griffith Criminology Institute

Prosecutorial Discretion, Accountability and Victims' 'Rights'? Timely Reform or Unhelpful Chimera? (PDF 2958K)
Dr David Plater

Developing a Remedial Framework of Rights for Victims of Crime (PDF 69K)
Tyrone Kirchengast, University of New South Wales

Victim-centric justice

Victims' rights and procedural justice in New Zealand (PDF 2559K)
Kim McGregor, Chief Victims Advisor to the New Zealand Government

Victim-centric policing: providing an effective and responsive service to individuals and communities impacted by crime and victimisation (PDF 1243K)
Yasmin Green and Tina Kallifidas, Victoria Police (DOC  30K)

Can we reduce re traumatisation in child witnesses? (PDF 1015K)
Vicki Bahen, Department of Justice and Regulation, Victoria

Justice, disability and mental health: new approaches

The Forgotten Party: Victims of Violence within the Forensic Mental Health System (PDF 1372K)
Kathryn Prentice and Ian Morris, QLD Health Victim Support Service

International innovations in Restorative Justice in mental health - the next steps for Australia (PDF 1028K)
Michael Power, Queensland Health

Justice responses in the digital age

Revenge Porn: An analysis of legislative and policy responses (PDF 3042K)
Terry Goldsworthy, Bond University

Child exploitation and the digital age: Balancing the criminal justice response to address offenders, victims and community expectations (PDF 422K)
Marni Manning & April Chrzanowski, Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council

Sexual victimization: journeys through systems and life experience

Improving the Queensland Police Service response to adult victims of sexual assault (PDF 4084K)
Katrina Carr, Queensland Police Service

Financial Assistance & sexual violence victims (PDF 209K)
Professor Kathleen Daly, Griffith University

Further victimization of child sexual abuse victims: A latent class typology of re-victimization trajectories (PDF 1305K)
Nina Papalia, Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology

Innovations in services & Justice

Establishing a best practice responses to victims of sexual assault in North Queensland (PDF 437K)
Dave Miles, Townsville Sexual Response Team SART

Safety considerations for victimised children and young people participating in a restorative justice process (PDF 1992K)
Christine Handy, Mater Family and Youth Counselling Service

Keynote speakers

Angela Deal

Angela Deal is Deputy Head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism within the Serious Crime Group of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of England and Wales. She is Head of the CPS Appeals and Review Unit, responsible for the conduct of all CPS cases heard before the country’s most senior appellate courts, including the Supreme Court. She is also the national CPS lead for the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme, which gives victims and bereaved families an effective and automatic right to challenge decisions not to prosecute criminal cases made by Crown Prosecutors, without the need for recourse to judicial proceedings.

Ms Deal received a BA in Modern History from London University in 1985 and qualified as a lawyer (solicitor) in 1994. She has since worked as a frontline prosecutor in a range of London criminal courts, served as the Head of CPS Prosecution Policy Division responsible for a range of national policy initiatives, and spent time on secondment to the Office of the Attorney General of England and Wales.

Professor Paul Cassell

Paul Cassell is the Ronald N. Boyce Presidential Professor of Criminal Law and Distinguished University Professor of Law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. He teaches crime victims’ rights, criminal law, and other courses at the College of Law at the University of Utah.  Along with Doug Beloof and Steve Twist, he is a co-author of Victims in Criminal Procedure, the only law school casebook on victims’ rights.

He also represents crime victims and crime victims’ organisations on a pro bono basis in cases around the country. In 2014, Professor Cassell argued for a crime victim before the United States Supreme Court in Paroline v United States and Amy.  The case involved the question of how restitution for victims of child pornography crimes should be awarded.  This was the first time a crime victim had appeared before the US Supreme Court to protect her own rights in a criminal case filed by a prosecutor.

Antoinette Braybrook

Antoinette Braybrook is the Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service Victoria and the National Convenor, National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum. Antoinette is an Aboriginal woman who was born in Victoria on Wurundjeri country and her grandfather and mother’s line is through the Kuku Yalanji, North Queensland.

Antoinette graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Deakin University in 2000 and was admitted as a legal practitioner in Victoria in 2004. In 2015 Antoinette received the Law Institute of Victoria: Access to Justice/Pro Bono Award and awarded the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women’s 2015 Sustaining Women’s Empowerment in Communities and Organisations Award in the category: Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women in a Community or Organisation.

Justice Jennifer Coate

Her Honour, Justice Jennifer Coate, is a Justice of the Family Court of Australia and a Commissioner for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Before her appointment as a Magistrate in 1992, Her Honour worked as a solicitor in private practice, for the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria and in policy and research for the Victorian Government.

In 1995 Justice Coate was appointed a Senior Magistrate, and in 1996 Deputy Chief Magistrate, of the Children’s Court of Victoria. In 2000 she was appointed as a Judge of the County Court and the inaugural President of the Children’s Court and, by 2007, the State Coroner of Victoria.

Current Program

Venue

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) is Australia's most flexible meetings and events venue, Australia's most-awarded venue and has been officially rated among the world's top three convention centres on three occasions. Situated in the heart of the South Bank precinct, the BCEC is conveniently located among a variety of public transport, accommodation, some of Brisbane's best dining.

Brisbane

Brisbane is blessed with an enviable climate, world-class facilities and convenient public transport networks, setting the scene for delegates to indulge in Brisbane's relaxed outdoor lifestyle.

Delegates can easily access activities like whale-watching and dolphin-feeding on Moreton Bay, with the lush rainforests of the Scenic Rim and the beaches of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast within 90-minutes drive of the city centre.

Brisbane is also home to a vibrant entertainment scene, with the Brisbane Festival in full swing during September, offering delegates many opportunities to sample a diverse array of contemporary arts.

With the conference venue nestled in South Bank, delegates are only a short stroll away from the heart of one of Brisbane's favourite green spaces, South Bank Parklands, and man-made beach, Streets Beach.

South Bank Concierge

The 2017 National Victims of Crime Conference is working closely with the South Bank Concierge Program – a new initiative ensuring delegates have a wonderful time in Brisbane.

There is nothing better than getting out to experience the local surrounds of a new city and South Bank, only a short stroll away from the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, is brimming with incredible conference exclusives awaiting our delegates.

By using the South Bank Concierge website, delegates can unlock conference exclusives throughout the South Bank precinct. Not only will they receive 10% off at participating retailers, they can also book event tickets, plan their itinerary and access special offers, plus so much more.

Mantra South Bank

Mantra South Bank Hotel welcomes delegates to enjoy a 10% discount off accommodation. Visit: www.mghotels.com.au and follow the below simple steps:

  1. Select the Region and Property (Mantra South Bank), your Travel Dates and the Number of People travelling, and Input Promo Code GRIFFCRIM2017 (case sensitive) in the Promo Box – hit SEARCH
  2. You will see the discount applied to the Daily Rate on each room type.
  3. Select the room type you wish to book and hit BOOK NOW to proceed to payment screen
  4. Fill in all required details to confirm your booking and hit COMPLETE BOOKING
  5. You will receive an email confirmation once all details have been processed.

PLEASE NOTE: promo codes are only valid for bookings made online; rooms are subject to availability and will require full prepayment. Bookings will also be subject to any minimum night stay restrictions as listed on the website. Online Terms and Conditions apply to these bookings. See full terms & conditions.

Soda Apartments

Soda Apartments welcomes delegates to a five per cent discount off accommodation.

  1. Select accommodation type and dates
  2. Enter promotion code SONG2017VOC

Please note the promotional code is valid from the 01/03/2017 – 31/08/2017 or until allocations are exhausted.

Botanica Residences

Botanica Residences welcomes 2017 Victims of Crime Conference delegates to receive the following discounted rates when booking accommodation for two nights or more:

  • One Bedroom apartment $199/night
  • Two Bedroom apartment $249/night
  • Two Bedroom executive $289/night

Enter promo Code KC2017.

Arena Apartments

Arena Apartments welcomes delegates to a five per cent discount off accommodation.

  1. Select accommodation type and dates
  2. Enter promotion code SONG2017VOC

Please note the promotional code is valid from the 01/03/2017 – 31/08/2017 or until allocations are exhausted.

Hilton Hotel

Located in the heart of Brisbane's CBD, Hilton Hotel is a 20 minute walk across the river to the conference venue. Hilton is offering all NVOC guests 20% off accommodation rates.

Group Name:  National Victims of Crime Conference 2017

Arrival Date: 01 September 2017

Departure Date: 14 September 2017

To book just adjust the desired check in and check out dates.

Spice Apartments

Spice Apartments welcomes delegates to a five per cent discount off accommodation.

  1. Select accommodation type and dates
  2. Enter promotion code SONG2017VOC

Please note the promotional code is valid from the 01/03/2017–31/08/2017 or until allocations are exhausted.