Sexual violence survivors and survivor advocates are feeling let down by the decision to drop charges against an alleged perpetrator in a very public sexual assault case. 

The decision is bittersweet. It was made in the best interests of the survivor. But it leaves many of us feeling like we had change grasped firmly in our hands, and because of a system that is wholly inadequate, the change is like sand, sifted through our fingers and gone. We say "Enough Is Enough".

This is not just for one individual, this is the experience of so many sexual violence survivors.

We are launching a national call to action to the Australian Senate - We demand the Government commission a National Enquiry into Sexual Violence offences.

We want to know that every experience of sexual violence matters. That it will be investigated and treated with equal dignity and diligence whether Indigenous, a person of colour, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQI+, a person with a disability, a migrant, a refugee or incarcerated, and regardless of age.

We want to feel safe when we decide to report sexual violence. We want to know we will be believed and that we won't be asked questions about what we were wearing, why we were there or how we responded but instead "What happened to us".

We want to know that police will thoroughly investigate our sexual offences report, and that there is enforceable, culturally safe, trauma, family and domestic violence-informed investigation processes. We want to know that when the police or the DPP decide not to prosecute a matter, their decision will be independently reviewed.

We want to have culturally safe and trauma, family and domestic violence-informed, funded, specialist services on the ground in our communities who can hold our hand and walk us through the police investigation and the court proceedings.

We want to know that the judges and jurors are trained to recognise our trauma symptoms when we sit in the witness box and don't hold it against us when we look away, freeze, cry or experience memory loss.

We want to know that when the prosecution decides to drop charges against an alleged perpetrator, those decisions are independently reviewed.

We want uniform definitions of sexual offences so that we know that our experience is defined and treated uniformly no matter which state or territory it happened in.

We want specialised sexual offences courts because we deserve to have our matter handled in a separate, specialised, trauma and domestic and family violence-informed environment to minimise our re-traumatisation.

We want to know that perpetrators can access therapeutic interventions that are culturally safe, trauma-informed and family and domestic violence-informed rather than just punitive, carceral prison sentences that perpetuate colonialism, patriarchal norms and trauma. We want specialist services that are funded to meet the needs of all communities.

Sign this petition for a national call to action to the Australian Senate - We demand the Government commission a National Enquiry into Sexual Violence offences.

The terms of reference should cover:

• preventative responses to sexual violence that address power imbalances, gender roles and trauma;
• an examination of police investigation procedures for sexual violence offences;
• options for an independent review of prosecutorial decisions;
• examining court processes for handling sexual violence survivors and defendants;
• reviewing judicial rules and policies;
• identifying inconsistencies in definitions of sexual offences, penalties and sentencing;
• identifying international best practice that is culturally safe, trauma and family and domestic violence-informed, survivor-centred and therapeutic and make recommendations for changes that are contextually relevant in Australia: and
• consider specialised sexual offences courts.