Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion recognising the incredible work of the trauma-specialist counsellors who operate the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline through Full Stop Australia.

Abigail said:

I move: 

(1) That this House notes that:

• the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline (1800 FULL STOP) was established in October 1974 by Full Stop Australia (formerly Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia) to provide expert support for individuals impacted by sexual violence anywhere in NSW, from crisis intervention to medium and long-term recovery and healing; 

• the Helpline is a free, confidential, statewide service operated by expert trauma-specialist counsellors who are trained to meet the diverse needs of everyone in NSW including First Nations people, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, and migrants and refugees; 

• available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by telephone, online or through face-to-face sessions, the Helpline’s counsellors support victim-survivors of sexual violence as well as their family and friends, frontline professionals, first responders and anyone in the community impacted by sexual violence; 

• in addition to providing free, confidential counselling for anyone who needs it, the Helpline’s counsellors support individuals with end-to-end care coordination, provide targeted information about accessing medical, housing, legal and other services, offer help planning for safety and recovery, and deliver interim counselling support for individuals on waiting lists or facing service gaps with other services; 

• the Helpline is funded by NSW Health and operated by Full Stop Australia, which is the only non-government organisation in NSW specialising in sexual violence services and support; 

• following sustained advocacy, Full Stop Australia secured a three year pre-election commitment supported by both major parties for an increase in funding of $924,000 per year;

• Full Stop Australia has advocated to the NSW Government for this much-needed funding to be continued following this financial year, so that the Helpline can continue delivering its vital services to communities across the state; 

• with total funding of only just over $3 million for the year ended 30 June 2026, the Helpline managed to deliver 13,616 sessions of support to clients via telephone, online webchat counselling, emails and face to face sessions; 

• in just the first 3 months of 2026, the Helpline saw a 28 percent increase in demand - a sad reflection on how much need there is the NSW community for the service but also an endorsement of just how important and life-changing the Helpline’s work is; 

• according to Full Stop Australia, in 2024-25: 

  • the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline supported individuals impacted by sexual violence over 13,000 times, a 10 percent increase from the previous year;

  • 87 percent of people supported by the Helpline were victim-survivors, 11 percent were family and loved ones, and 6 percent were frontline professionals; 

  • over 50 percent of clients identified that they referred themselves to the Helpline, 11 percent were referred by 1800RESPECT, and 10 percent were referred by other government agencies including Health and Police; and 

  • 91 percent of first-time callers reported a reduction in feelings of distress, anxiety or worry following their contact with the Helpline; and

• whilst one in five women and one in 16 men in Australia have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it is estimated that only 17 percent of victim-survivors receive support. 

(2) That this House commends the work of every specialist professional operating the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline, as well as the broader team at Full Stop Australia working to support people in our communities impacted by sexual, domestic and family violence.

Motion agreed to.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

6 August 2026