The passing of tough new family violence reforms has put the State at the forefront of the fight against family and domestic violence.
One of the key changes in the new Family Violence Legislation Reform Bill 2019 is a new specific criminal offence for suffocation and strangulation, which is an important risk factor in the context of family violence.
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Simone McGurk said research had found that a female victim of strangulation was seven times more likely to be the victim of homicide, compared to other family violence victims.
“Persistent family violence will also become a criminal offence, in recognition of the reality of family violence for many victims, where the perpetrator commits persistent and ongoing acts of violence against them,” Ms McGurk said.
“The introduction of serial family violence offender declarations will enable Courts to declare a person a serial family violence offender, making it easier for the Courts and police to identify them and mitigate against the risk of reoffending.”
Other changes include making it easier for evidence of family and domestic violence to be introduced in criminal trials and the requirement for police to record every family violence incident.
“This comprehensive Bill is the culmination of a significant collaborative effort across Government, police, the legal system and other key Agencies,” Ms McGurk said.
“These transformational changes respond to our increased understanding of how family and domestic violence impacts victims, who are predominantly women and children.”
She said the growing awareness of the inherent danger of non-fatal strangulation and how it could be a precursor to escalating violence, could no longer be ignored.
“The rates of family and domestic violence in the community are unacceptably high and the Government is determined to send a very clear message — violence is never OK,” the Minister said.
