A parent of a child victim of sexual abuse may be a 'primary victim' under s 47 of the Crimes (Sentencing) Act 2005 (ACT) and is entitled to make a victim impact statement about their own emotional suffering caused by the offending. The causal requirement in s 47 is unqualified — it is sufficient that the victim would not have experienced the emotional suffering if the offending did not occur. Victim impact statements serve a participatory purpose beyond their evidentiary function, and the court retains discretion as to what use to make of their contents.
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