NSW Parliament has made further protective changes to court procedures for vulnerable witnesses of sexual assault trials by allowing evidence to be recorded.
Current victim support laws have now been expanded to include vulnerable witnesses, such as children and people with cognitive impairments, won't be prompted to give evidence multiple times.
This development comes as a package deal of further government reforms to court procedures, also providing a closed court for AVO hearings, which previously did not apply for individuals under 18 years of age.
Victim Impact Statements will also now be able to include details of emotional distress, damage to other relationships and any harm to members of the victim's family.
Kerry Thompson from Victims of Crime Assistance League says the changes are necessary to help victims get through sexual assault trials.
"Giving evidence in court is extremely traumatic, for most victims of crime, many people feel re-traumatized from the process of having to re-tell their story."
"So these changes really put a focus on victims of crime receiving specialized and emotional support, during that very difficult time for them."
