Shadow Health Minister Kim Young has called for a review of sentences for sexual assault criminals.

And she was backed up by Government backbencher Dale Butler who said more services should be offered to the victims of the offences, who are currently being left "unattended''.

Mrs. Young said she felt that the punishment for sexual assault offences should be tailored to fit the criminal they were imposed on.

She was speaking in the House of Assembly during Friday's motion to adjourn and explained how she had been a member of the Sexual Assault Review Committee when it was formed in 1996.

"On that committee,'' she said, "we discussed all forms of sexual assault, whether they were aggravated, with or without a weapon, by people in positions in power, on tourists or locals, or by people suffering with AIDS.'' "I think that this committee should be re-instated,'' Ms Young added, "and that, among other things, the (issue of the) use of condoms by the offenders should be raised.'' She added that the reason why the offender used the contraception was instrumental in deciding how much punishment he should get.

"Was it in attempting to protect his victim or in trying to protect himself from her?'' Ms Young asked.

"To my mind,'' she said, "sexual assault is a serious crime and the fact is there are many women suffering right now from the after-effects of being victimised.'' She said some of these "after-effects'' included "crying, sleeplessness, a shattered sense of self-esteem and just a general feeling of claustrophobia''.

"There are a number of women, and a good deal of men, who would like to see the sentences for these crimes fit the serious nature of them,'' Mrs. Young said.

Mr. Butler agreed that more effort should be made to look after the victims of sexual assault.

Referring first to the Premier's declaration of the fundamental rights of children, he said he felt that the same "special care'' that young people get should also be given to women, especially those who are victims of sex crimes.

"We need to look seriously at how to provide relief for these victims,'' Mr.

Butler said.

"It is unfair for such women to get left unattended while we provide three-square meals and psychological help for the criminals who perpetrated the crime.'' He also offered various suggestions as to the form that this "relief'' might take, including free consultation and monetary support.

"And instead of providing such care for such criminals while in prison maybe we should be a little harder on them,'' Mr. Butler added.

"Maybe this would wipe some of the smirks of their faces.'' Mr. Butler also suggested that "some form of TM (Transcendental Meditation)'' be offered to the prisoners to aid in the rehabilitation process.

Tailor punishment: Shadow Health Minister Kim Young.