Safety in mixed mental health wards

Eighteen percent of women in Australia have reported experiencing sexual violence. But, by some estimates, up to 45 percent of women in Victorian psychiatric wards have reported experiencing sexual assault, and 85 percent have reported feeling unsafe while receiving inpatient treatment.

A recent inquiry conducted by the Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, The Right to Be Safe, made a number of recommendations to protect sexual safety in mental health wards. While it is encouraging that more light is being shed on this issue, the human rights implications and risks remain less understood. There is a real concern that Victoria is failing to meet its national and international human rights obligations to protect people in its care.

RAP analysed the human rights issues raised by sexual safety risks in Victorian mental health wards in a short research paper. The research paper was sent to the Victorian Minister for Mental Health in support of the call to investigate sexual violence in mental health wards and work with mental health consumers to develop a better framework to protect their sexual safety.