Category: Domestic Violence

ALHR Women and Girls’ Rights Subcommittee Co-Chair Anna Kerr said “Courts already have the capacity to refuse bail in appropriate cases. However, further training and cultural change is required for police and magistrates to identify cases that are high risk. There is also an ongoing urgent need for more education and awareness raising about family violence, including disparities in physical strength and financial resources, and the history of a coercive and controlling relationship and these must be considered by police and courts, when making a determination about which party to charge.”

“ALHR is also concerned by the increasing reports of women being inappropriately identified as defendants in domestic violence matters, as a result of male partners being the first to contact the police. The highly-gendered nature of family violence must not be ignored; as to do so, will only compromise the safety of women and children” warns ALHR Women and Girls’ Rights Subcommittee Co-Chair, Dr Rita Shackel.

https://alhr.org.au/queensland-government-domestic-violence-cases/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/24/fears-women-could-fall-foul-new-dv-laws

This is the reality of what’s happening in women’s refuges around NSW since the NSW government’s Going Home Staying Home homelessness program was introduced in July last year. The changes led to the closure of some women’s refuges. Many other long standing community and feminist run domestic violence refuges have been handed over to large charity providers, who won 75 per cent of the tenders.

The Kempsey Women’s Refuge had a 25-year long record of success in providing services to victims of domestic violence. Now operating as the Kempsey Homeless Support Service for Women, it was taken over by Newcastle-based charity the Samaritans.

A spokesperson for Samaritans told New Matilda the organisation has no experience in running women’s refuges. There is no reference to domestic violence or refuges on their website.

New Matilda has spoken to a number of ex-staff and local domestic violence support workers who say the quality of care for women and children escaping domestic violence has dropped dramatically since the Samaritans Foundation took over the Kempsey refuge.

https://newmatilda.com/2015/03/23/regional-womens-refuges-are-being-ripped-apart/

Human rights lawyers have voiced their grave concerns about the government’s continued relentless push to privatise essential specialist domestic violence services for women by awarding contracts to religious and other for profit agencies. The latest service facing possible closure, is Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia (RDVSA) – a vital service first established by the Women’s Liberation Movement in 1971.

https://alhr.org.au/human-rights-lawyers-warn-crisis-conditions-specialist-domestic-violence-services-women-children/

Anyone charged with a serious domestic violence offence in Queensland will now have to prove why they should be granted bail and allowed back into the community before they face court.

The Opposition said the new laws also provided more safeguards for domestic violence victims, including provisions for courts to order alleged offenders to be fitted with GPS tracking devices as a bail condition, and urgent appeal rights for victims

“We’ve only seen 46 of the 121 recommendations in the Not now, Not ever report actually implemented.”

The State Government and crossbench . . . rejected the LNP’s bid to make it mandatory for victims and their families to be formally notified when perpetrators were granted bail or parole.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-23/domestic-violence-laws-alleged-offenders-prove-bail-new-laws/8379052

Australia’s world-renowned Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia (RDVSA) phone counselling centre is facing possible closure in July.

• Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia gives counselling via hotline 1800-RESPECT
• Medibank Health Solutions has put the hotline’s counselling service out to tender
• Union says Medibank Health Solutions is putting profit before victims

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-22/rape-domestic-violence-services-centre-facing-possible-closure/8359008

Ms Forrester said Mr Herbert told his neighbour they were his children so he could do whatever he wanted and said his toddler was too beautiful and that is why he burnt her.

When another woman left the house with Mr Herbet’s son, he allegedly said “don’t worry, I would not have lit my boy up”.

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/dad-set-fire-to-girl-in-front-of-mother-because-she-was-too-beautiful-ng-b88420811z