Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has called for continued action to prevent violence against women and children after a new national report found sexual violence remains at historically high levels.
The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission’s 2026 Yearly Report to Parliament found reports of sexual violence increased by 64% over the past 15 years and reached their highest level since national recording began in 1991 in 2024. Reports fell by less than 1% nationally in the past year, the first decrease in 15 years.
The commission said governments and communities had made progress, but not at the scale or pace needed to change the trajectory for people affected by domestic, family and sexual violence and save lives.
The report identifies sexual violence and the family law and justice systems as two areas where Australians continue to experience unacceptable levels of harm. It makes eight recommendations, including calls for earlier intervention, stronger investment in safety and recovery, better evidence and monitoring, and greater accountability across the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.
Addressing the House of Representatives, Plibersek said the report was a reminder of the “long road ahead” and urged Australians to take disclosures of violence seriously, model respectful behaviour and teach young people about empathy and boundaries.
“We owe the women and children who have had their lives stolen by this violence more than our horror. We owe them action,” Plibersek said.
The federal government is developing the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032, with sexual violence identified as a priority.
The commission said almost six in 10 sexual assaults recorded by police occur outside family and intimate partner relationships, highlighting sexual violence as a distinct national issue.
