Category Archives: Domestic violence

NSW minister urges public to call out ‘inappropriate behaviour’ towards women after school coach’s death

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Exclusive: State’s domestic violence prevention minister says it’s ‘up to every single one of us’ to help prevent harm against women

Preventing violence against women is up to individuals and government money to fight the scourge will be “wasted” without community change, according to the New South Wales domestic violence prevention minister, Jodie Harrison.

The minister wants everyone to call out disrespect towards women in the wake of the killing of 21-year-old Lilie James at an elite private school in Sydney last week that left Harrison “physically sick”.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

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Less than half of Australian children who experience violence in sport tell an adult, world-first study finds

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Normalisation of violence in sport, like ‘tough love’ coaching, has discouraged children from speaking up, experts say

When Matthew* experienced violence from his soccer coach and teammates, he didn’t tell his parents out of fear it would mean giving up the sport he loved.

“I didn’t want them to withdraw me from sport altogether, because sport has always been everything in my life, it truly has.”

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Victoria to outlaw strangulation and consider making animal cruelty a domestic violence offence

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Government says research suggests survivors of strangulation are more likely to be seriously injured or murdered by the same partner

Victoria will make non-fatal strangulation a stand-alone offence and consider including cruelty to animals under the state’s family violence laws.

Describing the act as the “reddest of red flags”, the attorney general, Jaclyn Symes, on Wednesday announced the crimes amendment (non-fatal strangulation) bill would be introduced to parliament.

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Data breaches putting domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk, says UK watchdog

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Councils, police and hospitals endangering women by accidentally revealing details such as addresses, says ICO

Councils, police forces and hospitals are putting women’s lives at risk by accidentally disclosing domestic abuse victims’ addresses to perpetrators, the UK’s information watchdog has said.

John Edwards, the information commissioner, who has reprimanded seven organisations in just over a year for data breaches affecting victims of abuse, said: “This is a pattern that must stop.”

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Domestic violence assaults up 13.5% in New South Wales over five years

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An AI model used to analyse more than half a million domestic violence reports found 57% included coercive control

Domestic violence assaults have risen 13.5% over the past five years, according to the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar), which also found coercive control behaviours were present in more than half of police domestic violence reports.

Using an artificial intelligence model to analyse more than half a million domestic violence police reports made from Janurary 2009 until March 2020, Bocsar researchers found 57% of domestic violence events included at least one coercive control behaviour.

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Russian women fear return of murderers freed to fight for Wagner

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Concern that convicts re-entering society after stints in Ukraine will bring ‘wave of murder, rape and domestic violence’

The 2020 murder of Vera Pekhteleva, by her ex-boyfriend, was so gruesome that even in Russia, where violence against women often goes under the radar, it caused a media outcry.

Vladislav Kanyus spent hours torturing Pekhteleva before she died; neighbours repeatedly called police to report horrifying screams coming from the neighbouring apartment, but the police did not show up. At trial, it emerged there had been 111 injuries on Pekhteleva’s body.

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Canada calls gender violence an epidemic after triple femicide inquest

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Exclusive: government’s response also indicates Canada intends to criminalise coercive control, a form of intimate partner violence

Gender-based violence is an “epidemic” that “has no place in our country”, Canada’s new justice minister has said in a letter delivered in response to a public inquest into a triple femicide in rural Ontario.

The six-page letter dated 14 August – the federal government’s official response to last summer’s inquest – also indicates Canada intends to pursue the criminalisation of coercive control, a form of intimate partner violence intended to isolate, intimidate and control victims.

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UK MPs warn against growing use of smart tech in domestic abuse

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Committee’s report says devices including home security systems used to coerce and control victims

MPs have called on the UK government to tackle “tech abuse”, as they warned devices including smart home security systems were being used to coerce and control victims of domestic abuse.

The culture, media and sport committee launched an inquiry last year to consider the benefits and harms of connected technology, including virtual assistants and fitness trackers.

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Wales launches campaign to help tackle misogyny and violence against women

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Campaign aims to put onus on men to stop violence against women as figures suggest most already feel country safe place for women

A campaign aimed at making young men reflect about violence against women and domestic abuse is being launched in Wales as new figures suggest most already feel the country is a safe place for women and almost 40% believe enough has been done to fill the gender equality gap.

The “Sound” campaign, which the Labour-controlled government hopes will help tackle the crisis of toxic masculinity, is aimed at men between the ages of 18 and 34, and will try to reach them via social media, podcasts, digital television and streaming channels.

75% of men think Wales is a safe place to be a woman.

37% believe the country has gone far enough in closing the gender equality gap.

39% believe efforts to achieve women’s equality have led to discrimination against men.

43% believe traditional masculinity is under threat.

64% underestimate the prevalence of violence against women.

There was a very low understanding of terms such as love-bombing, gaslighting and coercive control.

Younger men were both more likely to agree that traditional masculinity is under threat – and to describe themselves as feminists. They also perceived scenarios involving physical abuse as less harmful and wrong compared with older age groups.

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Sydney man faces domestic violence and animal cruelty charges after dead rabbits found at unit

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Police to allege 21-year-old assaulted and threatened 20-year-old woman who was known to him

A New South Wales man is facing 33 charges for a range of offences including domestic violence and animal cruelty, after police found a number of dead rabbits at his property.

The 21-year-old man allegedly on numerous occasions assaulted and threatened a 20-year-old woman who was known to him. The man also allegedly filmed the woman during an intimate act without consent and threatened to release the vision, NSW police said in a statement.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.

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Domestic violence advocates outraged over potential for ‘watered-down’ Queensland police integrity unit

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Expert says anything less than the ‘full implementation of an independent police integrity model’ will fail to prevent the continuation of misconduct

The daughter of a domestic violence murder victim, who a coroner found was systematically failed by Queensland police, is urging the state government to stamp out the practice of police investigating themselves.

Shayne Probert’s mother, Doreen Langham, was killed when her ex-partner set fire to her townhouse, south of Brisbane, in 2021.

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In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org

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Climate crisis linked to rising domestic violence in south Asia, study finds

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Increase of 1C in average annual temperature connected to more than 6% rise in physical and sexual domestic violence

As deadly heatwaves sweep through cities in India, China, the US and Europe amid the climate crisis, new research has found that rising temperatures are associated with a substantial rise in domestic violence against women.

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday found a 1C increase in average annual temperature was connected to a rise of more than 6.3% in incidents of physical and sexual domestic violence across three south Asian countries.

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‘Incredibly concerning’: new study highlights policing failures in deaths of Indigenous women by domestic violence

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Researcher found clear patterns when she identified how women were killed and how police and the justice system responded

A “damning” new study of the deaths of more than 150 First Nations women at the hands of their partner or former partner has found patterns of policing failures, with the lead researcher saying most were preventable.

The study by Monash University examined 151 coronial court investigations and inquests of First Nations women and girls who were killed by intimate partner violence over a 20-year period.

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Woman found dead in Sydney after police failed to locate source of alleged domestic dispute

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Man charged with domestic violence offences including stalking and contravention of an AVO

A man has been charged with domestic violence offences after police found a woman’s body inside a western Sydney apartment, after earlier failing to locate the source of a domestic dispute.

Police received an anonymous phone call about an alleged domestic dispute at a Liverpool apartment block about 11.45pm on Friday.

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Police assessment places violence against women and girls on same footing as terrorism

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First official document on VAWG in England and Wales is similar to those used for threats such as serious organised crime, say chiefs

Police chiefs have issued the first official assessment of violence against women and girls in the UK, placing such offences on the same footing as terrorism and serious organised crime.

The 230-page intelligence document outlining the crimes that pose the greatest threats to women and girls has been shared with all forces by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Domestic abuse.

Rape and serious sexual offences.

Child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Tech-enabled VAWG, such as online stalking and harassment.

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Welfare advocates welcome Centrelink rule change to help domestic violence victims

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Officers will have to consider whether domestic violence is a factor when determining if welfare recipient is part of a couple

Australian welfare rights advocates have welcomed changes aimed at preventing family violence victim-survivors from being punished under Centrelink rules.

Under social security rules, people must declare to Centrelink whether they are single or in a relationship. Those deemed to be in a “couple” receive a lower rate of income support than singles.

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Indigenous mother of baby murdered by abusive partner says police failed her in ‘every way’, inquiry hears

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Tamica Mullaley told committee into missing or murdered Aboriginal women and children her child would still be alive if officers ‘did their job right’

An Indigenous mother whose son was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by her former partner says her baby could still be alive if police had done their job properly and believes officers failed her family in “every way”.

In testimony on Thursday, Tamica Mullaley says she described how she was left bleeding after being attacked by her abusive partner Mervyn Bell in Broome in 2013 – but when police arrived after being called to assist her, they arrested her, claiming she was abusive to officers.

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Commissioner vows to clean up Met as force faces biggest crisis since 1970s

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Sir Mark Rowley vows to ‘lift the stone’ – but says rooting out every unfit police officer could take years

Scotland Yard is battling its biggest corruption crisis since the 1970s, its commissioner has warned, as new evidence emerged of the widespread bungling of sexual and domestic abuse claims against officers.

The review of past allegations was triggered by the David Carrick scandal, where the force missed repeated clues that the Metropolitan police firearms officer was a threat to women, while he attacked at least 12 victims over a 20-year period, committing 85 serious crimes.

Checks on 10,000 of the Met’s 50,000 officers and staff against police databases showed 38 cases of possible misconduct and 55 cases of a potential association with a criminal, all of which will be investigated further.

Gross misconduct investigations, which can lead to sackings have risen 62% to 431, with such hearings taking less time to be held.

A total of 144 officers were suspended from duty, double that from September 2022, with 701 on restricted duties.

There has been a 70% increase in those dismissed – or leaving before they could be sacked – in the last six months.

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‘Unprecedented’: domestic violence shelters reach capacity amid Queensland housing crisis

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Women escaping violence are staying in refuges for years due to a lack of alternative social housing, providers say

Domestic violence shelters in Queensland say they are struggling to make space for new arrivals, with the housing crisis seeing women staying in some refuges for years .

The added strain on the sector has created a bottleneck , with shelters having to place some women in hotels or refuges far from their support networks.

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Dominic Raab to push for tougher minimum sentence in domestic homicides

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Move follows pressure from campaigners such as Julie Devey and Carole Gould whose daughters were murdered

Domestic abusers in England and Wales who kill their partners or ex-partners are to face tougher sentences under government plans after a campaign by bereaved families.

The justice secretary and lord chancellor, Dominic Raab, will push for a change in the law after pressure from campaigners such as Julie Devey and Carole Gould, who have been calling since 2020 for a change to the minimum sentence for domestic homicide.

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