Tess Hassell, a Sunshine Coast woman whose child abuse allegations were dismissed by police due to her undergoing eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, is calling for a review of how many other victims faced similar barriers. The Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions recently updated its guidelines to remove any reference to EMDR, which previously discouraged the use of evidence from those who had received this therapy. Ms Hassell expresses anger over the delayed justice and urges the Queensland DPP to investigate the number of cases affected by these past guidelines.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Queensland, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recently updated its guidelines to no longer mention eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which was previously discouraged from being used by victims seeking justice for alleged child abuse cases. A Sunshine Coast woman named Tess Hassell had her investigation dropped due to her participation in EMDR, leading her to advocate for reviews of similar cases where potential victim-survivors faced barriers to justice because they received this form of trauma therapy. The NSW DPP is now considering whether it will adopt a similar stance. Previously, the Queensland guidelines required that EMDR sessions be recorded under specific circumstances before being admissible in court, effectively prohibiting evidence from those who did not comply. With the removal of any reference to EMDR, therapists hope more people will feel encouraged to access this form of therapy without fear of it impacting their ability to testify in court cases.
Written for “EMDR Review for Victims” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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?
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What → have → therapy
The equivalent body in NSW says it is considering whether to follow suit.
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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.
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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.
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people → speak → court
The past guidelines effectively prohibited evidence from witnesses who had received EMDR except in specific circumstances, including having sessions recorded.
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sessions → prohibit → circumstances
The new guidelines do not reference EMDR at all.
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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.
"
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person → say → prosecution
The therapeutic benefits witnesses may experience following a range of therapies, including EMDR, continues to be recognised."
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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they → speak → EMDR
EMDR Association of Australia chairman Anthony Hurst described the change to Queensland DPP's guidelines as "really significant".
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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.
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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.
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that → accord → evidence
Such evidence is only allowed with approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions or a deputy director.
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evidence → allow → Prosecutions
An ODPP spokesperson said the guideline was under consideration.
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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.
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spokesperson → meet → therapy
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