Landmark laws improving support for victims of crime will be introduced to Victorian parliament, as a new report calls for heavier penalties for "grab and drag" assaults.
The paper released on Wednesday by the Victorian Law Reform Commission wants "aggravating circumstance" to be added into the Crimes Act in assault cases where victims fear sexual assault may follow.
The need for the laws to fill the void between assault offences and assault with intent to commit a sexual offence was examined in response to a 2018 Melbourne attack, where a woman was grabbed and dragged into an alleyway.
