My name is Ishvar Barani. I am 17 years old and I live in Sydney, New South Wales. I am not a politician or a lawyer, rather a high school student who believes our laws should do everything reasonably possible to protect innocent people from sexual violence and reduce the risk of repeat offending.

I am starting this movement because I believe meaningful change begins when someone decides they will no longer remain silent. From my perspective, too many offenders convicted of serious sexual crimes receive sentences that can be likened to little more than a "slap on the wrist" when compared to the lifelong trauma experienced by victims. Every victim's experience is unique, but every case carries lifelong consequences. I believe our justice system must place a greater emphasis on protecting future victims, supporting survivors, and ensuring that serious offences are met with penalties that truly reflect the gravity of the crime.

The need for reform is clear. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), almost two million Australian adults have experienced at least one sexual assault since the age of 15. Additionally, around 7,900 police-recorded sexual assaults against children aged 0–14 were recorded in a single year, while Australians aged 15–19 experience police-recorded sexual assault at almost three times the rate of those aged 20–24. Behind each number are the thousands of innocent Australians whose lives have been permanently changed.

Research also shows that sexual offending presents unique challenges for the justice system because many offences are never reported, and not all reported offences result in a conviction. Hence, official reconviction statistics alone are unable to reflect the full extent of repeat offending. For that reason, I believe our laws should focus not only on punishing offenders after a crime has occurred, but on doing everything reasonably possible to prevent another victim from ever being created.

This campaign is about advocating for stronger laws, better protections for victims, improved supervision of high-risk offenders, and a justice system that places community safety above all else. Among the reforms I believe Parliament should seriously consider are:

• Stronger Sentencing for sexual offences against children and repeat offenders.
• Restrictions On Residency preventing convicted high-risk child sex offenders from living within a specified distance of schools, childcare centres and other places primarily used by children.
• Restrictions On Unsupervised Contact With Minors, unless explicitly authorised by a court.
• Stronger Post-Release Supervision, including mandatory electronic monitoring where appropriate.
• Tougher Penalties for breaching supervision orders or release conditions.
• A Nationally Consistent Offender Management System that enables law enforcement agencies to effectively share information across every Australian state and territory.
• Consideration Of A Carefully Regulated Public Notification System that allows communities to access relevant information regarding certain high-risk offenders living in their area, subject to strict legal safeguards and protections against misuse.
• Lifetime Prohibitions on employment or volunteer positions involving children for offenders convicted of child sexual offences.
• Greater Funding for specialised police units dedicated to monitoring compliance with offender supervision orders and investigating breaches.
• Increased Investment in victim support services, counselling, trauma recovery programs and long-term assistance for survivors and their families.

My goal is not to encourage hatred, vigilantism or division, instead it is to advocate for reforms that reduce the risk of repeat offending, strengthen community safety, support victims, and ensure Australia's justice system places the protection of innocent people above all else.

I know that changing the law is not easy, but every significant reform in history began because inviduals felt the need to stand up and demand better. I hope this movement brings together Australians from every background who believe our justice system should continue to evolve to better protect our communities.

Every reform proposed in this campaign is guided by one simple principle: if a law has the potential to prevent even one child or one innocent person from becoming the next victim of sexual violence, then it deserves serious consideration.

"When a society cannot protect its most vulnerable, it has failed its most fundamental duty."

— Ishvar Barani