In 2017, The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended that state governments establish witness intermediary schemes to support any prosecution witness in a child sexual abuse matter with a communication difficulty.
Witness intermediaries are appointed based on their: clinical expertise; personal integrity and accountability; oral and written communication skills; and capacity to undertake an active role in the criminal justice system.
Witness intermediaries do this by:
- assessing a vulnerable witness’ communication needs and providing advice to the police about how to best communicate with the witness;
- preparing written reports for the courts that provide information about a witness’ comprehension and communication capacities, along with appropriate adjustments
- participating in the pre-trial and trial process.
In 2023 the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings final report made additional recommendations relating to Tasmania’s Witness Intermediary Scheme. This included extending the scheme to include children who are under investigation for, or who have been charged with, sexual offences, and providing funding for this expansion. Work is underway to implement the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations.
The current panel of witness intermediaries in Tasmania includes members from diverse professional backgrounds including:
- Speech pathologists
- Psychologists
- Occupational therapists
- Social workers.
The Scheme also employs in-house intermediaries who are staff members of the Department of Justice.
The panel of intermediaries will undertake training on 4 April 2025 to further enhance their expertise in supporting witnesses.
More information about the Witness Intermediary Scheme can be found on the Department of Justice website - https://www.justice.tas.gov.au/carcru/witness-intermediary-scheme