Photo: Bendigo Advertiser

Developed in partnership with the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), the fact sheet and extended report challenge 15 commonly held misconceptions about sexual offending.

Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter said that this resource aims to increase understanding of sexual crime and encourage victims to seek help.

“Sexual offences are widely misunderstood,” AC McWhirter said.

“By dispelling some common myths and misconceptions, we hope to create more a supportive and understanding society in which victims are more likely to come forward and report their experiences.

“This resource is the latest in a range of Victoria Police initiatives which aim to support victims and provide a specialist, victim-centric response to those who have experienced sexual crime.

“It also complements Victoria Police’s Unspeakable: Understanding Sexual Crime podcast series which explains the reporting and investigative processes and includes ‘behind the scenes’ glimpses of detectives’ training and victim’s experiences.

The full resource is available at www.police.vic.gov.au/sexualoffencespublications and new episodes of Unspeakable: Understanding Sexual Crime is released every Monday on SoundCloud and iTunes.