KEY POINTS:
Almost $1 million is to be spent by the Government to find out how to improve the record on convictions for sexual offending.
The money will fund research to encourage adult victims to report sexual violence attacks and "boost the conviction rate".
The two-year research project will be led by the Ministry of Women's Affairs, supported by the Ministry of Justice and Police. It will investigate:
* How many reports of sexual violence end with a successful conviction.
* Look at ways to improve the likelihood of sexual violence victims making formal complaints.
* Investigate how victims can best be supported through the criminal justice system.
Justice Minister Mark Burton said sexual violence was significantly under-reported.
The success rate of prosecutions was not known, but in the United Kingdom and other comparable countries, the chance of obtaining a conviction for sexual violence was well below 10 per cent.
"This affects victims' confidence in the justice system and means many offenders are not being held accountable" Mr Burton said.
Jan Jordan, a criminologist from Victoria University, said the system protected the rights of the accused but also had to ensure adequate protection for victims. "That's lacking at the moment."
It did not seem fair that defendants did not have to testify when a victim had to give evidence and face cross-examination which often involved tearing apart their character.
"It's time we had a really serious look at where we need to make some changes," Dr Jordan said.
"It's hard because it's a balance.
"We don't want to get innocent men convicted if they really are innocent, but, at the moment, we're letting many men who shouldn't have been acquitted, not having to take legal responsibility for what they've done."
