A new report has found victims and survivors of modern slavery are being let down by critical gaps in Australia's criminal justice system, with most never seeing justice and very few cases leading to prosecution or conviction.
The Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Criminology, today released a major assessment of Australia's criminal justice response, highlighting persistent barriers that prevent victims from accessing justice and offenders from being held to account.
Drawing on more than a decade of research, reviews, stakeholder expertise and consultation with 34 people with lived experience of modern slavery, the report reveals a system that is not consistently delivering in practice.
"Australia has strengthened its legal and policy frameworks, but victims are still falling through the cracks," Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans said. "Too many cases fail to deliver accountability for offenders or meaningful outcomes for victims and survivors."
Criminal justice outcomes remain starkly limited. Available data shows that over the past 20 years more than 3,000 reports of modern slavery and human trafficking have been referred to the Australian Federal Police. In that time, there have been just 41 convictions. While not all reports represent cases capable of prosecution, the report highlights the significant challenges in advancing cases through the justice system.
"Modern slavery cases are complex and challenging to investigate and prosecute. I'd like to see more resourcing, training and support for criminal justice stakeholders to close the attrition gap and bring justice for survivors, accountability for perpetrators and deterrence for future crime."
The report identifies four key issues:
- Ongoing structural and operational barriers to identifying, investigating and prosecuting offences
- Inconsistent decision-making, communication, and application of victim- and survivor-centred, trauma-informed approaches
- Gaps between policy commitments and access to support, protection and remedies in practice
- Limited data and research on how victims engage with the justice system and what works.
"Too often, survivors face insurmountable barriers when seeking justice - including barriers to reporting, lack of corroborative evidence, limited protections, or lack of access to support," the Commissioner said.
"A strong criminal justice response must work in practice - recognising exploitation early, supporting victims safely, and delivering meaningful justice and remedy."
The Commissioner acknowledged work already underway across government and law enforcement agencies, and emphasised the report is intended to support these efforts.
"The report comes at a critical time, as the Australian Government considers the next phase of the national response to modern slavery," the Commissioner said. "Strong laws alone are not enough - systems must work for the people they are designed to protect."
Read the full report .
