Community
9 May, 2024
MP urges greater domestic violence protection
MEMBER for South West Coast Roma Britnell urged a Victorian minister to meet with the women impacted by the lack of laws protecting them from domestic violence offenders.
Speaking during an adjournment matter in Parliament last Monday, Ms Britnell urged Minister for Police and Crime Prevention Anthony Carbines, who is also Minister for Racing, to take some time away from Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival and “seize this opportune moment to do more than just revel in the atmosphere”.
“I encourage the minister to take the opportunity to visit with families and the police who are dealing with the challenges of inadequate laws which are failing to keep women and children safe from domestic violence perpetrators,” she said.
“I would be happy to help arrange meetings with the affected families.
“Our police do all they can to support women who are subjected to domestic violence.
“However, they confront a disheartening reality that offenders persistently violate court orders, leaving police powerless and victims living in fear.”
Ms Britnell said her office had recently been contacted by the father of a local woman who was enduring the trauma of domestic violence, at the hands of a former partner who had breached his intervention order on multiple occasions.
“The father told me the initial IVO was taken out due to threats of harm against his daughter by her ex-partner,” she said.
“The ex-partner has now breached the conditions of the IVO no less than four times. On the fourth breach of his IVO the ex-partner attempted to make physical contact with the woman after being arrested for contacting her just nights before.
“The father who contacted me went to his daughter’s aid on the night in question and found the ex-partner, armed with a knife and a shovel, damaging property and threatening to harm the people at the property, including his daughter and grandchildren. The father was scared, and the daughter was terrified for her safety.”
Ms Britnell said police had arrived to arrest the man, however he was soon released only with orders to appear before a magistrate despite the severity of the alleged offending which included weapons charges, multiple IVO breaches and criminal damage charges.
“The father is at a loss to understand the lack of police power to act in this situation,” she said.
“He is sick of the ex-partner breaching his IVOs, being released and then breaching his orders again while he waits for the court hearing.
“Meanwhile his daughter lives in fear for her and her children’s safety.”
Ms Britnell said the government committed to the national domestic violence plan back in 2022 but two years on there had only been a rise in domestic violence.
“Families in South-West Coast or anywhere else should not be living in fear,” she said.
“Almost every four days a woman loses her life to domestic violence. Let us let that sink in.
“It is a damning statistic that should shake us all to the core.”
Ms Britnell said the Premier and Deputy Premier attending a recent anti-violence rally was “nothing more than virtue signalling” unless the government could create positive change.
“Let us not forget that it is your government that has been in power for the last 10 years and you have had the tools to make change, yet the damning statistics of women dying at the hands of their partners have only gotten worse,” she said.
“Our community demands better.
“Women demand better.”