No amount of spin will paper over the fact the ACT government has failed hundreds, and possibly thousands, of victims of alleged sexual assaults over many years. The findings of the Sexual Assault (Police) Review, released on Tuesday, are absolutely damning.
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It has recommended the immediate reinvestigation of 30 of the 682 sexual offence cases reported between July 2020 and December 2021. The report identified a further 182 cases which might require further action.
That's just not good enough. Almost one in three of the cases targeted by the review may have been bungled. That's hardly going to encourage victims of alleged sexual assaults, already often reluctant to come forward, to put their faith in ACT Policing.
It gets worse. In the period covered by the review the ACT not only had the highest rate of sexual assault cases not proceeding to prosecution of any jurisdiction; it also had the highest ratio of alleged sexual assault victims withdrawing their complaints.
This speaks volumes about alleged victims' perceptions of the adequacy of ACT Policing's response. That's no wonder given in 2021 charges were laid in just seven per cent of reported cases. That's one in 14.
The review, led by Rachael Burgin from Swinburne University, met with 37 alleged victims to hear first hand what they had experienced when they reported alleged assaults.
Common complaints included police misconceptions about the nature of sexual violence and consent, stereotyped views on domestic and family violence, poor communication between police and victims and a lack of support services.
While all of this may sound like something out of the 1970s it is the lived reality of hundreds of women in Canberra in the 2020s.
All of that said, it would be far too easy to blame the officers in the trenches for the failings of a system they did not create, do not have control over, and don't have final responsibility for.
The buck has to stop with the Barr-Rattenbury government. It is they that have, as was recently reported, underfunded ACT Policing to the point where there is a shortage of experienced officers able to take on complex and challenging cases.
One point highlighted by the review was that there had been "little investigative activity" on sexual offence cases. While this is cold comfort to alleged victims - and it is certainly no excuse - the brutal truth is if you don't have enough police there are limits to what can be investigated.
Neither Andrew Barr, Yvette Berry, Mick Gentleman or Shane Rattenbury were stepping up to own their own responsibility for these appalling outcomes on Tuesday.
Instead, as was to be expected, they rolled out the tired old platitudes Canberrans have heard time and again.
"Our justice system must do better," said Ms Berry. "I acknowledge and thank ACT Policing for their commitment to embrace change," said Mr Gentleman. And "this work presents a significant opportunity for the ACT Government to implement reform," said Mr Rattenbury.
Yes, there appear to be cultural issues at play within ACT Policing that need to be addressed. And yes, as review co-chair Christine Nixon said, the report does have the potential to "dramatically change" victim experiences.
But it will only do so if the ACT government accepts its responsibility for underfunding the service and its lack of oversight. It is not enough to collectively wring their hands, make the right noises and go back to the status quo.
With the nation's eyes intently focused on the issue of violence against women, this report must be a turning point that leads to real change.
