Sexual Assault Trials Handbook — The prosecution of child sexual assault in NSW

R Shackel, “Victim impact statements in child sexual assault cases: a restorative role or restrained rhetoric?” (2011) 34(1) UNSW Law Journal 211.

This article looks at the use of victim impact statements in sentencing child sexual assault offenders, given the growing recognition of their communicative, therapeutic and other social benefits. It finds that the potential usefulness of victim impact statements is undermined in practice by factors such as evidentiary barriers and restrictive judicial interpretations that limit their use by sentencing courts.