Stronger intervention laws and stalking laws will be part of a new package that will better respond to victims when violence occurs, delivering a better justice response.
Last month, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the new package of reforms that will change laws and change culture, and deliver a new support system for victim survivors when they need it most.
As part of the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence, Ms Allan said the government ‘must do more’ to protect women.
“When women are still dying at the hands of men – we must do more. From prevention to response to justice, these reforms will target family violence at every stage,” she said.
Currently, most Family Violence Intervention Orders (FVIOs) are between six and 12 months long, and victims can be required to return to court to face their perpetrator.
The State Government will introduce a new minimum length for FVIOs, putting the focus on perpetrators and their behaviour, and allowing for victim protection to start sooner.
The State Government will also work with Victoria Police and the courts to give police the power to issue longer family violence safety notices, while changes to stalking offence will be introduced in 2025.
They will also seek advice from the Judicial College and Sentencing Advisory Council regarding guidance for magistrates on sentencing for breaches of FVIOs – to ensure they are responding to community expectations.
Changing our culture
The State Government is expanding the Modelling Respect and Equality (MoRE) program, with the government stating its aim was to ‘counter the influence of Andrew Tate types.’
The program has already piloted in 100 schools and will be rolled out to 240 more – delivering intensive training to establish a culture of healthy masculinity as part of the Respectful Relationships program.
The State Government will also introduce new learning resources to help schools teach youth how to safely navigate online, providing age-appropriate lesson plans on toxic masculinity, hate speech, pornography, and coercive control, while mandatory learning will be included in Victoria’s RSA training requirements.
Immediate response
Building on the State Government’s measures announced last month was supporting a ‘Safe at Home’ pilot by McAuley Community Services for Women, which will provide rapid safety planning to help women who are at risk of becoming homeless due to family violence.
Other immediate responses include a boost to the Personal Safety Initiative and to improve the Central Information Point – an Australian-first that consolidates information about a perpetrator of family violence into a single report.
The State Government also said it will work with the community housing sector to draw funding from the Commonwealth’s $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facilities, for crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing family violence.
