Push for review for victim-survivors after prosecution change to EMDR
A Sunshine Coast woman whose allegations of child abuse were not investigated by police because she had received a recommended trauma therapy is pushing for a review into how many alleged victim-survivors have faced the same barrier to justice.
A Sunshine Coast woman, Tess Hassell, is advocating for a review of the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) guidelines after her child abuse allegations were dropped due to her having received eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The Queensland DPP has removed references to EMDR from its guidelines, but the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is currently considering whether to follow suit.
Ms Hassell's allegations of physical and sexual abuse were dismissed by Queensland Police after learning of her EMDR treatment, which she believes is part of a systemic issue. The EMDR Association of Australia's chairman, Anthony Hurst, described the change as significant, stating that victim-survivors can now access EMDR without it being singled out as a special hurdle in their cases.
The NSW ODPP is the only state or territory that currently singles out EMDR evidence, allowing it only with approval from higher authorities.
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