Preventing and responding to family violence
Family violence disproportionately affects women, with nearly one woman killed every fortnight in Victoria. On average, police attend a family violence incident every 5 minutes.
Women are nearly 3 times more likely than men to experience violence by a current or former partner. And these figures are exacerbated when combined with other forms of inequality.
Since the Royal Commission into Family Violence, the Government has made substantial investments to prevent and respond to family violence, implementing all 227 of the Commission’s recommendations.
This Budget builds on those actions, delivering $172 million to prevent and respond to family violence, while investing more to keep women and their children safe.
This includes:
- $80 million to support victim survivors, including specialised case management, and funding for Respect Victoria to help prevent family and gendered violence.
- $40 million to embed data-driven risk management into the entire family violence service system so that those who need help, get help.
- $27 million for sexual assault support services, continuing the after-hours crisis line and specialist treatment services.
- $24 million for specialised family violence legal services.
- $1.9 million to continue holding perpetrators to account, including behaviour change programs for male prisoners.
This Budget will also invest $167 million to provide support to vulnerable families earlier and help keep families together.
We are also streamlining support for victim survivors in our justice system. This includes physical spaces that prioritise safety:
- $287 million towards the Financial Assistance Scheme, supporting victims of crime, providing access to counselling, assistance with medical expenses and emergency financial assistance.
- $114 million towards the operationalisation of Wyndham Law Courts, a new multi-jurisdictional, state-of-the-art facility, which will deliver flagship programs, including the phasing-in of a new Specialist Family Violence Court.
- $27 million to continue statewide support services delivered by the Magistrates’ Court, including a centralised service which provides easier court access and support for victims – particularly women and children.
- $19 million for dedicated Court Security Officers at Specialist Family Violence Courts, making sure family violence victim survivors feel safe. Funding will also continue the Remote Hearing Support Service, which gives victims the option to attend a family violence intervention order hearing without coming to a court building.
- $3.2 million for continued funding of the Victims’ Legal Service, a specialised legal service for victim survivors.
And because we know poor outcomes for girls start with poor attitudes towards girls, we’re delivering $7.4 million to deliver a Safe Socials Program in partnership with Sexual Assault Services Victoria. Building on our work with the Commonwealth to introduce age limits on social media, this investment will help prevent the spread of unhealthy forms of masculinity and keep young Victorians safe online.
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