This document sets out a five year plan to tackle one of the most pressing social issues in NSW. Sexual assault of children has long-term devastating consequences for those who have experienced it and their families. It is a serious crime punishable by law, and there are no excuses for it. Those who commit this crime must take responsibility for their actions. The literature indicates that child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities is a complex problem that is interconnected with other aspects of Indigenous disadvantage such as substance abuse, social and economic disadvantage, poor mental and physical health, and exposure to family violence. For example, the 2003 report Speak Out, Speak Strong: An Inquiry into the Needs of Aboriginal Women in Custody found that 70 percent of Aboriginal women in custody had been victims of child sexual assault, and communities consulted by ACSAT identified child sexual assault experiences as an underlying driver of substance abuse and poor mental health. The Taskforce report observes that the NSW Government delivers a broad range of services that respond to different parts of the problem of child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities. These may be categorised differently, such as family support, juvenile justice or family violence programs. But it is clear that while the components of a comprehensive service response exist, the Government itself can do better around coordinating service delivery, encouraging Aboriginal people's access to services, and matching service planning to community need to provide appropriate levels of support, particularly in regional and remote areas. A whole-of-government approach is needed to sustain improvements to service responses to child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities and to prevent Aboriginal children and families falling through gaps between services.

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