THE Royal Commission into Family Violence spent 13 months hearing testimony from more than 200 family violence survivors and front-line support service representatives.
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The recommendations cover a range of measures including law reform, safety, training, protection for victims, and police resources.
Among the key recommendations are:
One-stop safety hubs: Victoria needs to establish highly-visible support and safety hubs throughout the state so victims can get information and find services in their area. These would get police referrals, link victims with specialist support, do risk assessments and book victims into crisis accommodation.
Law reforms: A centralised service will share information about perpetrators with police, courts, family violence services and the safety hubs and the state’s 24-hour crisis helpline.
Frontline policing: More use of investigative and mobile technology for police, including the trial of body-worn cameras. More training for police to increase their understanding of family violence.
A housing blitz: Woman and children who have left their homes and are stuck in crisis or short-term housing should be immediately rehoused. A housing taskforce should also be established to end blockages in the housing system.
Focus on abuser: Programs that deal with perpetrators are entirely insufficient and increased monitoring and insight is needed.
Expansion of specialist courts: Courts that can deal with the complexities facing victims in the one place, including criminal, family law and civil matters. All family violence matters should be heard in specialist courts within five years.
Protect children: Children should have more access to counselling and other supports, and be automatically included on intervention orders or have their own order.
Hospital assistance: Public hospitals should be resourced to have a whole-of-hospital response to family violence. Routine screening for domestic violence should become mandatory at all public antenatal appointments.
Appoint a watchdog: Establishment of an independent Family Violence Agency to hold governments to account.
Better understanding: Family violence training for all key workers, including those in hospitals and schools, and an expansion of respectful relationships education in schools.
