By Callum Ludwig
As Australians rally against the devastating incidents of violence against women and alarming rates of domestic and family violence incidents occurring around Australia, crisis talks are being held between politicians, police, courts and support services.
A national cabinet meeting is being held on Wednesday 1 May amidst calls for changes to the bail system, tougher punishments, education for young men and boys and greater funding for support services.
Community health service EACH offers qualified family violence counselling throughout the Outer East and EACH’s Head of Service Design and National Practice Lead for Family Violence Olivia Sinn said government funding needs to increase so support services can help women and children live free from violence.
“EACH’s Family Violence Program supports people affected by both past and current family violence, but ever-growing demand for this program far exceeds our capacity,” she said.
“We need to provide services to meet community needs, including flexible and extended services to reflect the long recovery journey.
“When a child or young person reaches a different developmental stage, or an ex-partner is released from prison, people should not have to go back to the start.”
At the time of writing on 29 April, the death toll of women killed by violence for the year stands at 27 according to Destroy the Joint, with some protesters and marchers saying that number could be as high as 32.
The number of women killed is almost double the number in any of the four years prior and almost halfway to the total of 63 women killed in 2023 total.
Victoria Police’s Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway fronted a press conference on Friday 26 April to discuss the issue and said it seems like there’s another terrible news story every day.
“Those of us who work in family violence are equally disheartened by the statistics and they’re not just statistics, they’re people who have suffered the most tragic circumstances of family violence,” she said.
“I do think that some of the conversations we need to really think about is that it shouldn’t be on women to change everything, we know who is committing the violence and we know what needs to change and some solutions, I think, place too much emphasis on women to do the changing and we know that that’s not the long-term solution,”
“We need to really remember that the majority of violence committed against women is done by men who are known to women and it’s in places where they’re expected to be safe like their home.”
Crime Statistics Agency data reveals there was a total of 57,111 family violence incidents recorded in 2023 with 70.1 per cent (40,028) of those being recorded as one incident, 16 per cent (9133) being two related incidents, 6.2 per cent (3559) three incidents, 3.2 per cent (1812) four incidents and five or more related incidents accounting for 4.5 per cent (2579) of those recorded.
The data shows that not only are a shockingly high number of family violence offences being committed and recorded, but the same perpetrators are able to offend repeatedly in a short timeframe.
Offenders are likely targeting and harassing the same victims, overwhelmingly women and children, while the number of incidents given the likelihood of other incidents not being reported due to a lack of trust in effective action, fears for their own safety or lack of access to support.
Assistant Commissioner Callaway said Victoria Police arrest about 80 family violence offenders a day.
“It’s a balance and certainly there is a very strong emphasis on victims, survivors and their rights to be safe, certainly from the police perspective that is the most important that we are here to preserve,” she said.
“But it is a very blunt instrument to simply just lock everyone up who commits a family violence incident, we need to find ways to rehabilitate perpetrators, we need to find ways where people can repair their family dynamics.”
According to Crime Statistics Agency data, of the 94,170 ‘family incidents’ recorded in 2023:
A child was present for 34,014 incidents
An intervention order (IVO) was applied for in 14,167 cases and a Family Violence Safety Notice (FVSN) was issued in 11,552 cases, meaning neither was applied or issued in 68,579 incidents
Criminal charges were laid in 22,715 cases, no charges were laid in 19,935 cases, 6009 were deemed unsolved and 45,511 resulted in no criminal incident.
Ms Sinn said there is also often ongoing risk regardless of charges or arrests made with examples as recent as last week of further family violence occurring and tragically, of people being killed, following charges or incarceration.
“Local, integrated support services are essential to support all people impacted by family violence. Though it is important that police and justice systems respond to this endemic by holding people accountable, charges or arrests are rarely the end of the story,” she said.
“People in our community who experience family violence, the majority of whom are women and children, are left with life-long trauma and recovery that requires support so they can thrive and this includes long-term support for children across their changing needs, and housing supports,”
“Increasingly, we are seeing people who are experiencing family violence present to a range of our services. EACH provides integrated services that are tailored to the individual needs of each family we support.”
EACH’s Family Violence Program is free and available by appointment Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, as well as a limited number of opportunities for after-hours appointments, for anyone who has experienced or is experiencing family violence. EACH’s Family Violence counsellors can assist with family violence support for those suffering from or who have suffered from physical, sexual, financial, emotional and cyber abuse including stalking and or other controlling behaviours.
Ms Sinn said it’s crucial that community-integrated support services receive increased funding to provide the necessary resources and support to meet the growing demand.
“Addressing family violence requires a comprehensive approach that involves improving timely response and providing better recovery support for those impacted,” she said.
Other services that can support people impacted by family violence:
1800RESPECT, National sexual assault, domestic family violence counselling service: 1800 737 732
Safe Steps, for women and children who are victims of family violence: 1800 015 188 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Men’s Referral Service, for men using violence: 1300 766 491
Rainbow Door, for specialist advice to LGBTIQ+ people and their friends and families: phone: 1800 729 367 or text 0480 017 246
The Orange Door: www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au
