About us
About the Justice Navigator Pilot
Sexual violence is common, but highly under-reported. When survivors engage with the justice system – whether civil or criminal – it can be a confronting and disempowering experience. Too often the burden is on survivors to navigate a complex system that fails them by compounding trauma and making recovery more difficult.
Justice navigator pilot
That’s why SASVic and Family Safety Victoria are proud to be working on a Justice Navigator pilot in Victoria
Building on recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform Commission Report in 2021, and modelled on longstanding independent sexual violence adviser (ISVA) roles in England and Wales, Justice Navigators will be embedded in Victorian specialist sexual assault services and will:
support survivors to understand and exercise their rights
assist survivors to and navigate all the support, compensation, justice, and recovery options available to them
be free and available to survivors for as long as support is needed
not require a survivor to report to police before accessing support
provide support and information to secondary victims such as children, friends and family members
complement and be integrated with existing legal supports and services in Victoria
build the capacity of other professionals and sectors to work with and advocate for survivors.
Ultimately, we hope that Justice Navigators will improve justice outcomes for survivors and become a permanent feature of the specialist sexual assault sector across Victoria and beyond.
pilot site announcement - June 2026
- take a broad view and definition of justice (and not require victim survivors to report to police)
- be accessible through localised intake processes at the hosting specialist sexual assault service
- be available as an additional or alternative support for all victim survivors of sexual assault, alongside other local service offerings including counsellor advocates, group therapy, etc.
- the remit and capacity of the roles
- how best to support victim survivors of sexual assault to navigate justice and recovery options
- how Justice Navigator roles work within the broader sexual violence service system.
Contact
This page will be updated with new information as the pilot progresses. Please contact the Project Lead Hannah Webster at justice.navigators@sasvic.org.au if you require further information.
The Justice Navigator pilot is supported by the Victorian Government.
