Changes to the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1996

The Justice Legislation Amendment (Victims) Act  2018 has brought about the below changes to the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1996:

• The two year time limit for victims of acts of violence consisting of physical or sexual abuse, where at the time of the offence the victim was under the age of 18 years has been abolished. Such applications may be made at any time after the offence. The abolition of the time limit applies to all relevant applications in existence at 5 April 2018 that are not yet decided, as well as to applications filed from 5 April 2018 onwards. 
• The definition of 'relevant offence' has also been expanded to allow victims of child abuse material offences and sexual servitude offences to be eligible for VOCAT assistance. 

Justice Legislation Amendment Act (Victims) 2018