Police Sergeant of the Victoria Police Prosecution Sex Crimes unit, and recipient of the Australia Day Police Medal 2018 in recognition of distinguished service, Mark Higginbotham, talks to us about why and how to report sex crimes to the police, and the service you will receive.
Police Sergeant of the Victoria Police Prosecution Sex Crimes unit, and recipient of the Australia Day Police Medal 2018 in recognition of distinguished service, Mark Higginbotham, talks to us about why and how to report sex crimes to the police, and the service you will receive.
He discusses the difference between yielding to abuse, and the common misconception that this is consent. He explains how children are carefully prepared to give accurate evidence based on their own cognitive ability, and how they do not ever need to see their abuser in court.
Listen to him talk about counterintuitive reasoning and how this psychological phenomoenon has had to be explained in order to understand how abuse victims behave.
He finally explains how bringing a civil claim against your abuser and the organisation that let you be a 'sitting duck' would be a general deterrent and help to prevent future abusers.