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![Most of us have a rough idea of how reporting sexual assault is supposed to work. The reality is different in almost every way.
We’ve absorbed a version of it through media and assumptions. The police who take it seriously, a prosecutor fighting for the victim in court, a process that, however painful, moves toward some kind of accountability. It’s not an unreasonable picture to carry, it’s just not an accurate one.
Our report What No One Told Us goes deeper into this and what needs to change. Find it on our website.]()
Most of us have a rough idea of how reporting sexual assault is supposed to work. The reality is different in almost every way. We’ve absorbed a version of it through media and assumptions. The police who take it seriously, a prosecutor fighting for the victim in court, a process that, however painful, moves toward some kind of accountability. It’s not an unreasonable picture to carry, it’s just not an accurate one. Our report What No One Told Us goes deeper into this and what needs to change. Find it on our website.Button -
![At some point in the justice process, many survivors have the same realisation. They’ve done everything right - waited patiently, followed every instruction, not ‘made a fuss’.
And then, without warning, a decision is made without them. And another one. And another one. And then it becomes clear: this case was never really theirs.
In Australia, sexual assault cases are prosecuted by the Crown on behalf of the state. The person who was harmed is just a witness to what they thought was their own case. A case they are supposedly central to, a case that could not proceed without them, but a case to which they are legally peripheral.
That means the prosecution decides what evidence gets used, what arguments are made, when and how the case moves forward. Often without consulting the victim.
This is why independent legal representation is such an important reform. It just means that the victim will have one person in their corner, one consistent person who can advocate for their interests, and keep them informed as they navigate a complex and isolating process.
You can read more about independent legal representation and the criminal proceedings process on our website.]()
At some point in the justice process, many survivors have the same realisation. They’ve done everything right - waited patiently, followed every instruction, not ‘made a fuss’. And then, without warning, a decision is made without them. And another one. And another one. And then it becomes clear: this case was never really theirs. In Australia, sexual assault cases are prosecuted by the Crown on behalf of the state. The person who was harmed is just a witness to what they thought was their own case. A case they are supposedly central to, a case that could not proceed without them, but a case to which they are legally peripheral. That means the prosecution decides what evidence gets used, what arguments are made, when and how the case moves forward. Often without consulting the victim. This is why independent legal representation is such an important reform. It just means that the victim will have one person in their corner, one consistent person who can advocate for their interests, and keep them informed as they navigate a complex and isolating process. You can read more about independent legal representation and the criminal proceedings process on our website.Button -
![Being believed.
It sounds like the bare minimum. But for survivors of sexual violence, it's often where the entire journey ends before it begins.
The fear of not being believed shapes almost every decision a survivor makes.
Whether to tell someone, whether to report, whether to trust the process enough to stay in it.
And the system itself reinforces that fear. Cross-examination tactics, the weight placed on a survivor's credibility rather than the evidence, all of it sends the same message: you'll have to prove yourself first.]()
Being believed. It sounds like the bare minimum. But for survivors of sexual violence, it's often where the entire journey ends before it begins. The fear of not being believed shapes almost every decision a survivor makes. Whether to tell someone, whether to report, whether to trust the process enough to stay in it. And the system itself reinforces that fear. Cross-examination tactics, the weight placed on a survivor's credibility rather than the evidence, all of it sends the same message: you'll have to prove yourself first.Button -
![Sometimes support isn’t doing more - it’s giving space, respecting choices, and trusting the survivor’s timeline.
Healing happens on their terms, not ours.]()
Sometimes support isn’t doing more - it’s giving space, respecting choices, and trusting the survivor’s timeline. Healing happens on their terms, not ours.Button -
![“Find her.”
That’s what people online are now calling for - the brave woman at the centre of the Tanner Bruhn rape case to be identified and shamed.
But here’s what the media got wrong, despite urgent attention being brought to the inaccuracy by my friend Jacob Gooden:
A prosecution witness lied. Not the complainant.
Yet the story quickly shifted to “false rape allegation” - like it so often does.
That misrepresentation has now travelled across media outlets nationwide, fuelling online harassment and calls for the complainant to be punished.
Two facts matter here:
1. Withdrawal of charges does not equal a false allegation.
2. The witness who gave false testimony was not the complainant.
Victims go through hell and back for the mere chance to hold a perpetrator accountable - often for the sake of public safety. She has given months, maybe years, of her life cooperating with the state as a witness.
Already isolated and legally unrepresented in a system that was never designed to support her, she has now also been let down by a prosecution that didn’t bother to properly screen a witness who later admitted to lying.
So the trial collapses. The charges are dropped.
It is devastating.
And now, on top of that, she’s being publicly crucified.
Inaccuracy in reporting sexual assault matters isn’t a technicality. It reinforces dangerous rape myths and emboldens perpetrators at a national scale - including the one in question (allegedly).
It is also the public defamation of a very vulnerable person.
So yes, let’s find her.
Let’s find her and tell her we support her in suing the media outlets recklessly endangering her wellbeing.
That should be the priority - not welcoming Tanner Bruhn back onto the footy field.]()
“Find her.” That’s what people online are now calling for - the brave woman at the centre of the Tanner Bruhn rape case to be identified and shamed. But here’s what the media got wrong, despite urgent attention being brought to the inaccuracy by my friend Jacob Gooden: A prosecution witness lied. Not the complainant. Yet the story quickly shifted to “false rape allegation” - like it so often does. That misrepresentation has now travelled across media outlets nationwide, fuelling online harassment and calls for the complainant to be punished. Two facts matter here: 1. Withdrawal of charges does not equal a false allegation. 2. The witness who gave false testimony was not the complainant. Victims go through hell and back for the mere chance to hold a perpetrator accountable - often for the sake of public safety. She has given months, maybe years, of her life cooperating with the state as a witness. Already isolated and legally unrepresented in a system that was never designed to support her, she has now also been let down by a prosecution that didn’t bother to properly screen a witness who later admitted to lying. So the trial collapses. The charges are dropped. It is devastating. And now, on top of that, she’s being publicly crucified. Inaccuracy in reporting sexual assault matters isn’t a technicality. It reinforces dangerous rape myths and emboldens perpetrators at a national scale - including the one in question (allegedly). It is also the public defamation of a very vulnerable person. So yes, let’s find her. Let’s find her and tell her we support her in suing the media outlets recklessly endangering her wellbeing. That should be the priority - not welcoming Tanner Bruhn back onto the footy field.Button -
![There is a bitter irony in a transparency effort that seems to leave powerful figures insulated while survivors absorb the fallout.
Situations like this echo a larger systemic tension: justice systems rely on survivor participation while simultaneously exposing them to harm, scrutiny and procedural indifference.
When administrative failures overshadow survivor welfare, it reinforces a perception many already hold - that the system is structurally better at protecting itself than the people it claims to serve.]()
There is a bitter irony in a transparency effort that seems to leave powerful figures insulated while survivors absorb the fallout. Situations like this echo a larger systemic tension: justice systems rely on survivor participation while simultaneously exposing them to harm, scrutiny and procedural indifference. When administrative failures overshadow survivor welfare, it reinforces a perception many already hold - that the system is structurally better at protecting itself than the people it claims to serve.Button -
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![The problem is not the way victims recall their assaults.
The problem is that we still expect trauma to behave like a normal memory.]()
The problem is not the way victims recall their assaults. The problem is that we still expect trauma to behave like a normal memory.Button -
![Violence is often explained away as someone “losing control” - a moment of anger, alcohol, or impulse. But most violence, especially sexual violence, isn’t the absence of control. It’s the exertion of it. It’s someone deciding that their power matters more than another person’s autonomy, safety, or consent. Calling it a loss of control softens what it really is. Violence is control - over someone’s body, their voice, their choices. And recognising that truth is essential, because accountability only begins when we stop pretending these acts were accidental.]()
Violence is often explained away as someone “losing control” - a moment of anger, alcohol, or impulse. But most violence, especially sexual violence, isn’t the absence of control. It’s the exertion of it. It’s someone deciding that their power matters more than another person’s autonomy, safety, or consent. Calling it a loss of control softens what it really is. Violence is control - over someone’s body, their voice, their choices. And recognising that truth is essential, because accountability only begins when we stop pretending these acts were accidental.Button -
![What if recovery includes anger?
We’re so used to thinking that anger means you’re still in the thick of it - that healing should look calm, forgiving, composed.
But anger can be part of clarity. It can be the moment you finally understand that what happened to you was wrong.
Feeling it doesn’t mean you’re stuck; sometimes it means you’re finally reconnecting with your sense of dignity and boundaries.
Anger, when we let it move through us rather than bury it, can be a powerful force - not just for personal healing, but for change.]()
What if recovery includes anger? We’re so used to thinking that anger means you’re still in the thick of it - that healing should look calm, forgiving, composed. But anger can be part of clarity. It can be the moment you finally understand that what happened to you was wrong. Feeling it doesn’t mean you’re stuck; sometimes it means you’re finally reconnecting with your sense of dignity and boundaries. Anger, when we let it move through us rather than bury it, can be a powerful force - not just for personal healing, but for change.Button -
![Most people assume that if someone reports sexual violence, they automatically have their own lawyer in court.
That makes sense, right? It feels like that’s how it should work.
But in Australia, victims don’t automatically get independent legal representation. The prosecutor represents the state, not the individual who reported.
Meanwhile, in countries like Ireland, Germany, India, Japan and parts of Scandinavia, victims can have their own lawyer - someone whose job is to explain the process, protect their privacy, and speak up for them when needed.
That doesn’t take rights away from the accused.
It simply means the person who reported isn’t navigating the system alone.
When you compare the systems side by side, it raises a simple question:
If other countries can provide victims with their own legal support, why can’t we?
Independent Legal Representation will define the next decade of justice reform.]()
Most people assume that if someone reports sexual violence, they automatically have their own lawyer in court. That makes sense, right? It feels like that’s how it should work. But in Australia, victims don’t automatically get independent legal representation. The prosecutor represents the state, not the individual who reported. Meanwhile, in countries like Ireland, Germany, India, Japan and parts of Scandinavia, victims can have their own lawyer - someone whose job is to explain the process, protect their privacy, and speak up for them when needed. That doesn’t take rights away from the accused. It simply means the person who reported isn’t navigating the system alone. When you compare the systems side by side, it raises a simple question: If other countries can provide victims with their own legal support, why can’t we? Independent Legal Representation will define the next decade of justice reform.Button -
![*My face when a room full of people tell me they had no idea victims of sexual offences in Australia are the only ones in court without a lawyer (eek!)*
Thank you to the Australian British Chamber of Commerce for having me at the first of your International Women’s Day breakfasts in Melbourne.
It was a pleasure to sit alongside such accomplished women across defence, economics and human rights - such diverse fields. I had whiplash covering so many topics in one morning!
But each of us is navigating, and reshaping, systems that were never designed with women in mind. (Or at least, I’m trying to!)]()
*My face when a room full of people tell me they had no idea victims of sexual offences in Australia are the only ones in court without a lawyer (eek!)* Thank you to the Australian British Chamber of Commerce for having me at the first of your International Women’s Day breakfasts in Melbourne. It was a pleasure to sit alongside such accomplished women across defence, economics and human rights - such diverse fields. I had whiplash covering so many topics in one morning! But each of us is navigating, and reshaping, systems that were never designed with women in mind. (Or at least, I’m trying to!)Button
