SAFETY FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

SAFETY FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN

OUR COMMITMENTS Improving legislation to protect against coercive control and other forms of abuse, supported by training programs across the criminal justice system and community education programs. Increasing dedicated housing options for women and children escaping violence, particularly in south Canberra. Ensuring all future funds raised through the Safer Families Levy go directly to frontline service providers. WHAT WE STAND FOR Taking real action on family, domestic and sexual violence. Never turning vulnerable people away, ensuring help is always available in the form of adequate wraparound services for people who have been subjected to family, domestic, and sexual violence. Upskilling first responders in managing family and domestic violence call-outs, and ensuring consistent on-referral to sufficiently-resourced community sector support service providers. Implementing Aboriginal-community-controlled family and domestic violence programs for both victims and perpetrators.

WHY WE NEED CHANGE

Family, domestic and sexual violence incidents are increasing across the ACT as are requests for support from crisis service providers, none of which report being sufficiently resourced to meet current levels of demand. There are women in our community attempting to escape violent situations who are being told to wait it out because we don’t have a home for them.

Family violence incidents in the ACT attended by police increased 20 per cent from 2022 to 2023. Since 2019 there has been a 35 per cent increase.
Between 2022 to 2023 the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) responded to more than 24,000 incoming contacts and more than 25,000 outgoing contacts as well as accommodated 414 clients totalling more than 3700 safe nights.
Family, domestic and sexual violence has a disproportionate effect on our most vulnerable community members. Of the clients DVCS supported in 2022 to 2023:
- 18 percent identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples;
- 31 percent identified as culturally and linguistically diverse; and
- 20 percent identified as having a disability.
In the last two decades, there were more than 130 domestic violence deaths in the ACT. An in-depth analysis of 12 of these deaths revealed coercive control was a factor in almost every death. In 75 percent of these total deaths, there had not been any physical violence before the death.