Lisa Wilkinson questions if victims of stealthing will see offenders convicted under new SA laws

Lisa Wilkinson has questioned whether victims of ‘stealthing’ really stand a chance of facing a conviction under new laws that could put violators of the ‘abhorrent’ sexual practice behind bars for life.

Consent campaigner Chanel Contos appeared on The Project Thursday night to discuss the physical and psychological effects of the sexual act on victims.

Stealthing is the unauthorized removal of a condom during intercourse, with South Australia recently becoming the last jurisdiction to ban the practice – joining the ACT, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

Ms Contos said the new laws will protect and validate victims and the community about what is acceptable in Australian society.

However, Wilkinson wondered if victims of sexual assault would ever see justice.

“As we know, sex crimes are so difficult to successfully prosecute. Even with this legislation, it seems to be even more difficult,” she said.

‘Do stealth victims really stand a chance of being convicted?’

Lisa Wilkinson (left) asked consent campaigner Chanel Contos whether victims of ‘stealthing’ really stand a chance of conviction, as the sex act is banned in five jurisdictions

Ms Contos said that although only a handful of people worldwide have been prosecuted for theft, preventive measures and education were important.

“What we need next is unified stealth laws across the country. We now have five jurisdictions in Australia where theft is a crime,” she said.

“We’ve got three more to go. That’s Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. And it’s very important that this happens as soon as possible, because we are one country, people are constantly traveling between states and territories.’

Ms. Contos said sneaking can have devastating physical and psychological consequences for victims, such as unwanted STDs and pregnancies, as well as depression.

Ms Contos said stealth can have devastating physical and psychological consequences for victims, such as unwanted STDs and pregnancies, as well as depression (stock image)

South Australia’s top MP Connie Banaros described sneaking as “the ultimate act of treason” as her state banned the practice this week.

Ms Bonaros said the practice is “more common than most people think,” with her private account being backed by the government.

One in three women and one in five men in same-sex couples have been the victim of the “abhorrent act of betrayal,” according to a 2018 Monash University study.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, only 60 percent defined stealth as sexual assault and only 1 percent reported it to the police.

One in three women and one in five men in same-sex couples have been the victim of the ‘abhorrent act of treason,’ a Monash University study found in 2018 (stock image)

Attorney General Kyam Maher said the bill will ensure the “treasonable practice” falls under the state’s criminal law.

“There have been many calls from lawyers to criminalize this under state law to ensure we explicitly consider this a crime.

“Other states have moved in this direction – Tasmania and the ACT have already passed laws.”

There is no stealth conviction in Australia yet.