January 2015 - 9 News
There are loud calls for stronger laws to address domestic violence following the alleged murder of Sydney hairdresser Leila Alavi at the hands of her estranged husband at the weekend.
The World Health Organisation described violence against women as a "global health problem of epidemic proportions" in a 2013 report, and Australia is not immune from its findings.
Although assaults across NSW have declined by more than 8 percent in the past 24 months, reports of domestic violence have remained stable over the same period, according to crime statistics released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in September.
Domestic violence numbers have also remained steady for the past five years while many other violent crimes have dropped over the same period.
Coordinator of the Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Scheme Susan Smith told ninemsn that a consistent approach to family violence was required across state and federal governments.
"The attention paid to family violence by governments and the media increases in the wake of another domestic violence death or deaths," Ms Smith said about the current attention on the matter.
"Australia's primary policy on domestic violence … (lacks) coordinated implementation and consultation."
Ms Smith highlighted the approach being implemented in NSW which will involve a "whole of government approach" that draws from several different services and police, allowing them to "determine the level of threat to victims" and make judgements on their safety.
"At the same time however, the Federal Government has announced funding cuts of $43.1 million to legal assistance services over the next four years," she said.
"Funding cuts will reduce our ability to provide advice to victims of domestic violence."
In NSW last year there were 26,491 domestic AVOs (Apprehended Violence Order) issued by courts, with around 11,788 of those being breached, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research — a breach rate of 44 percent.
NSW Attorney General Brad Hazzard said yesterday the government was looking to address domestic violence, stating it is "criminal behaviour. No excuses, no justification."
A recent report from the Queensland State Coroner said that between 2006-2012 there was an average of 23 deaths per year resulting from domestic violence — equal to 44 percent of the state's homicides.
While crime in Victoria has increased by almost 6 percent in recent years, the state's police and court statistics show family violence is rising at an alarming rate.
The report also stated that while assaults had decreased slightly, family violence was up — accounting for 41.7 percent of crimes against persons.
The Victorian Government meanwhile released its terms of reference for its upcoming Royal Commission into the prevention of family violence.
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Fiona Richardson said the Royal Commission would have a focus on improving policy.
"This is a policy Royal Commission, it is not designed for lawyers at 10 paces to thrash out who's to blame for the situation that we find ourselves," Ms Richardson told The Age.
Ms Richardson said the intent was introducing policy that will "implement generational change".
The enquiry comes after 11-year-old boy Luke Batty was murdered by his father Greg at cricket practice last February in front of horrified friends and parents.
The attack occurred despite his mother Rose Batty having an ADVO (Apprehended Domestic Violence Order) in place.
There are now fears that an entire new generation of family violence offenders is being raised with attacks by children against parents in Victoria rising more than 50 percent in the past three years.
More than a quarter of offenders under the age of 19 were girls.
A 2012 survey into personal safety conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found one in six women have suffered a form of sexual or physical violence carried out by a current or former partner.
Despite domestic violence costing Australia an estimated $13.6 billion a year, one woman is killed every week in a situation resulting from domestic violence where the perpetrator is typically either a current or former partner of the victim.
Sydney woman Leila Alavi was allegedly killed by her estranged husband Mokhtar Hosseiniamraei after he contacted while she was at work on Saturday.
She was later found stabbed to death with a pair of scissors in her car.
Nicholas McCallum
Read the article on the 9 News website.
