MEDIA RELEASE
Women’s Forum Australia is demanding urgent answers from the Victorian Government following the horrific revelations that a convicted trans-identifying male murderer sexually assaulted a female prisoner in a women’s prison in 2022 – an assault the Victorian Labor Government knew about for the last four years while continuing to place men in women’s prisons.
Women’s Forum Australia is asking why it has taken nearly four years for this woman to see any form of justice, why the male offender was not charged, and why the Government chose secrecy and settlement over transparency and justice.
“This case exposes a systemic failure that goes far beyond the assault,” said Women’s Forum Australia CEO Rachael Wong.
“The Government knew in 2022 that a woman had been sexually assaulted by a male prisoner in a women’s prison and yet, years later, it is still allowing male offenders to be housed in women’s prisons.”
“Why was this man not prosecuted? Why was the public kept in the dark? And why, knowing this assault occurred, did the Government refuse to act on repeated calls by female inmates and advocates to restore single-sex prisons?” asked Ms Wong.
Instead of introducing a blanket ban on male offenders in women’s prisons, the Victorian Labor Government recently updated its corrections policy in a way that, while removing the requirement that prison placement prioritises ‘gender-identity’, still permits men to be housed in women’s prisons in certain circumstances.
Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly dismissed the concerns of female inmates, frontline staff, and women’s advocates even as evidence mounted that women were being placed at risk, including a string of alleged sexual assaults by a trans-identifying male prisoner that came to light in South Australia last year.
“This is not a policy oversight. It is a conscious decision to prioritise gender ideology over women’s safety,” Ms Wong said.
“Women in prison are entirely under the control of the state. They cannot leave, they cannot protect themselves, and they cannot escape when threatened with a male offender incarcerated with them. The Government has failed in its legal and moral duty to safeguard them.”
Women’s Forum Australia is calling for:
- A blanket ban on male prisoners being housed in women’s prisons
- Immediate removal of all male offenders from women’s correctional facilities
- An independent inquiry into all known assaults linked to male placements
- Full transparency around why no criminal charges were laid
- Public disclosure of all taxpayer-funded settlements related to prison assaults
“How many more women must be sexually assaulted before the Government acts?” asked Ms Wong.
“Single-sex prisons are not controversial. They are a basic safeguard – and the refusal to implement them is costing women their safety, dignity and rights.”
ENDS.
Media enquiries contacts
Rachael Wong
Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie Bastiaan
Head of Advocacy
Women’s Forum Australia is an independent think tank that undertakes research, education and public policy advocacy on issues affecting women and girls, with a particular focus on addressing behaviours and practices that are harmful and abusive to them. We are a non-partisan, non-religious, tax-deductible charity. We do not receive any government funding and rely solely on donations to make an impact. Support our work today.
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