In short:
Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions guidelines no longer reference eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
asserted
guidelines → reference → therapy
A Sunshine Coast woman who had an investigation into alleged child abuse dropped because she had received the therapy.
What's next?
asserted
What → have → therapy
The equivalent body in NSW says it is considering whether to follow suit.
asserted
it → say → suit
A Sunshine Coast woman whose allegations of child abuse were not investigated by police because she had received a recommended trauma therapy is pushing for a review into how many other victim-survivors have faced the same barrier to justice.
asserted
survivors → investigate → justice
Tess Hassell has spoken out after the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) updated its guidelines to remove reference to eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy — a tweak therapists hope will help more people access court.
asserted
people → speak → court
The past guidelines effectively prohibited evidence from witnesses who had received EMDR except in specific circumstances, including having sessions recorded.
asserted
sessions → prohibit → circumstances
The new guidelines do not reference EMDR at all.
asserted
guidelines → reference → EMDR
A Queensland DPP spokesperson said: "The fact that a person has undergone EMDR or other therapies is considered as a factor in a prosecution.
"
asserted
person → say → prosecution
The therapeutic benefits witnesses may experience following a range of therapies, including EMDR, continues to be recognised."
uncertain
witnesses → experience → EMDR
In 2024, Ms Hassell was told that Queensland Police was dropping its investigation into the alleged physical and sexual abuse she suffered in childhood because she had received EMDR.
asserted
she → tell → EMDR
The therapy is performed by trained mental health professionals and is among treatments recommended for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder by the World Health Organization.
asserted
therapy → perform → Organization
Ms Hassell, who met with the Queensland DPP about her experience, said she had hoped a change to the guidelines would bring relief, but she instead felt "anger, disappointment and betrayal".
asserted
she → meet → anger
"Their removal does not undo the harm caused or absolve those who allowed them to operate for so long,"Ms Hassell said.
asserted
Hassell → undo → those
"The guidelines were never adequately grounded in research or informed by the realities of abuse and the complex ways people disclose it, yet they were allowed to influence whether I and many other people subjected to it could pursue justice for more than 30 years."
uncertain
I → ground → years
She said she had urged Queensland DPP Todd Fuller to review how many people had been affected by the past guidelines, which likened EMDR to hypnosis, but was yet to hear back.
asserted
which → say → hypnosis
"I made him aware of a detective involved in my case, as he personally encountered around 30 women involving EMDR spanning his 15-year career, indicating the systemic nature and scale of the harm caused," Ms Hassell said.
asserted
Hassell → make → harm
The ABC has spoken with men and women across Australia who have had investigations or prosecutions stall or stop because they had received EMDR.
asserted
they → speak → EMDR
EMDR Association of Australia chairman Anthony Hurst described the change to Queensland DPP's guidelines as "really significant".
asserted
Hurst → describe → guidelines
"Victim-survivors can now access EMDR without the therapy itself being singled out as a special hurdle for their case," Mr Hurst said.
asserted
Hurst → access → case
According to Mr Hurst, the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is now the only state or territory with a prosecution body that singles out EMDR evidence.
uncertain
that → accord → evidence
Such evidence is only allowed with approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions or a deputy director.
asserted
evidence → allow → Prosecutions
An ODPP spokesperson said the guideline was under consideration.
asserted
guideline → say → consideration
"The ODPP has met with, and received a submission prepared by, the EMDR Association of Australia, and is currently considering its approach to matters involving evidence of witnesses who have engaged in EMDR therapy," the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → meet → therapy
The Aporia