Sexual assault victims are barred from speaking out about their abuse in Tasmania due to an archaic law that criminalizes revealing the identity of a sexual abuse victim.
Those who publish information that reveals the identity of a victim of a sexual crime without a court’s permission can be charged with contempt of court.
Originally, Section 195K of the Evidence Act 2001 was passed to make sure that the identities of those abused by sexual predators were kept out of the media, but now many victims are claiming that the law has prevented their stories and experiences from being heard by the world.
Sexual assault is a criminal offense in Thailand and has different levels of seriousness, according to criminal lawyer Thakoon Chantararangsi.
As a matter of course, court records are not public in Thailand but names may be revealed in news stories–victim shaming is a universal phenomenon, Chantararangsi notes.
One woman, who was sexually assaulted by her teacher when she was 15, said in an interview with 60 Minutes in Australia that the “barbaric” law stops victims from telling their stories, but at the same allows the sexual predators who perpetrated the crime to speak freely.
“The fact that I can’t take control of my own story, that’s frustrating,” the woman said in the interview which concealed her identity.
Read the full story here.
{ 0 comments… add one now }