CEO of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, Tiffany Karlsson: Demand for our care is rising faster than we can respond. Photo: CRCC.
Canberra is in the midst of a silent sexual violence crisis across all parts of our community and yet the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) has insufficient funding to meet current demand for our 24/7 crisis services.
We have no funding certainty, with all funding expiring in June 2026. Demand for our care is rising faster than we can respond. Without stable, adequate funding, it creates uncertainty in our ability to deliver the support we know can change and save lives.
Around 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual assault in Canberra, and more than 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys have experienced child sexual abuse. With fewer than 10 per cent of victim-survivors choosing to report to police, our specialist services are needed now more than ever.
Demand for our specialist front-line sexual violence crisis, education, hospital and police support, court advocacy and counselling services is growing year on year. Each month we receive hundreds of crisis calls and texts, and we conduct hundreds of callouts to police and hospitals, support clients in court, and we conduct hundreds of face-to-face specialised counselling sessions for women, men and child victim survivors and their families.
We also provide information and counselling support to professionals working in the sexual violence space and provide specialised training to organisations and educational institutions across Canberra.
In the past year, we’ve seen an increase in calls to our crisis line, requests for counselling, and people needing advocacy through complex, confronting systems. More people are disclosing abuse, some for the first time after years or decades of silence, and more young people are telling us they don’t feel safe.
Sexual violence doesn’t exist in isolation. The drivers of sexual violence are not random or inevitable. They are social, cultural, and systemic. They stem from deep-rooted inequalities, attitudes, and power imbalances.
It takes great courage for people to reach out to us, and it is victim-survivors who pay the price when services have insufficient funding to meet current demand. There is increasing concern about access to justice, as well as pressure on hospitals and mental health services. What’s missing from the conversation is this: specialist early intervention saves lives and reduces those costs.
When survivors receive trauma-informed support early, the outcomes are profound. We can help them process trauma, stabilise their mental health, and avoid repeated contact with emergency services. We reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, substance use, and long-term physical and psychological effects. We also save money for the health systems and justice systems when we can provide early intervention.
Put simply, the earlier we can respond to sexual violence, the less likely someone is to end up in hospital. This is not just compassionate, it’s financially responsible.
CRCC is unique. It is the only specialist sexual assault support centre in the ACT. We play a huge role in supporting victim survivors and their families, as well as in preventing health crises before they occur. Investing in our education and response work takes pressure off already stretched health and legal systems.
Behind every funding shortfall is a survivor looking for support. Our team at CRCC shows up with deep compassion and fierce commitment. But the emotional toll is real, especially when we don’t have the resources to meet the need in front of us.
Survivors shouldn’t have to wait. Staff shouldn’t burn out trying to fill the gaps. And our community shouldn’t have to bear the consequences of underinvestment in services proven to work.
CRCC calls on all governments to support the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence (NASASV) priorities: to fund specialist sexual violence services (including to provide an immediate funding injection to the sexual violence sector, to ensure adequate, sustainable funding over five-year periods, and to ensure transparency of sexual violence sector funding), to develop a national sexual violence framework, and to develop a sexual violence workforce strategy.
At CRCC, we are proud to be a specialist service offering free, life-changing care to those impacted by sexual violence. We’ve been here for decades, and we will keep showing up. The answer is already here: invest in our front-line services to provide education and early intervention.
Tiffany Karlsson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. With a background in law, Tiffany has built her career around a strong commitment to social justice, working across areas such as human rights, native title, access to justice and education. She is passionate about creating lasting change and advocating for the rights and safety of individuals and communities.
