Facing court as a fully grown adult can be daunting.
The mandatory security check upon entry, sterile surrounds of the courtroom, and respecting court etiquette, aren't exactly conducive to feelings of comfort and calm.
Through a child's eyes, the experience can be even more stressful and intimidating, chief executive of the Australian Childhood Foundation Joe Tucci said.
"Kids don't find the whole process very supportive or affirming," Mr Tucci said.
Last week the New South Wales government announced it will invest $64.3 million over the next four years to implement its Child Sexual Offences Evidence Program (CSOEP) in every district court and police district.
CSOEP aims to reduce stress for victims navigating the justice system.
The program's support measures include allowing young people to pre-record their evidence, and providing them with intermediaries during police interviews and hearings.
Mr Tucci said a similar program offering specialist support should be considered by the state government for Victorian courts.
"Regional areas sometimes struggle with not having all that level of personnel available to them, and the systems aren't always as robust … as in a metropolitan area," he said.
"We need to have a standardised approach, so it doesn't matter what part of the state they are in, they get the same kind of level of support.
"And they know that the courage they took to disclose the abuse in the first place is going to be honoured by the system itself."
The measures could help increase prosecution rates of child sexual abuse too, Mr Tucci said.
"In some places it's less than 4 per cent of cases that actually get to court are successfully prosecuted," he said.
"We also know there are thousands of cases that don't get to court."
Minister for Victim Support Enver Erdogan would not be drawn on whether a program similar to CSOEP would be considered in Victoria, but said the state government was "continuing to back programs that reduce trauma and stress so young victim-survivors and their families can recover and reclaim their lives."
"We offer the Child Witness Service across regional Victoria so young people can receive specialist support when providing evidence remotely through virtual court rooms," Mr Erdogan said in a statement.
'Programs in place' for victim-survivors
Mark Woods, specialist in criminal law and past president of the Law Institute of Victoria, said the state already had several programs in place to support victims of crime of "all ages".
"They include dedicated officers in Victoria Police during the investigating and charging stages, and witness support during the adjudication phase within the courts," Mr Woods said.
Mr Tucci said while overall, the state was "tracking well" in implementing its 2018 response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse there were always areas to improve on.
