Police around the country are failing domestic violence victims in what frontline workers are calling the biggest national security problem facing Australia.
Australia’s response to the alarming rates of domestic violence has been thrown in the spotlight again, with the tragic murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children at the hands of her estranged husband.
A major issue is that the policies developed to help victims aren’t properly policed, said criminologist and director of Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, Jude McCulloch.
“Intimate partner violence is the most common type of violence,” she told The New Daily. “We’ve put in place a lot of good policies, invested quite a lot of money.
“But what we find is, even if the woman reported the violence and has an intervention order, those procedures that ensure that violence doesn’t escalate, they’re not followed.
“The majority of woman don’t report, but when they have, often they’ve been let down.
“Often there’s been breaches of intervention orders, and they’re not followed up by police, so the risk to the woman is not taken as seriously as it should be.”
To stop the growing tide of women murdered by their partners, we need to start taking violence against women seriously, said Dr McCulloch.
“It’s not just a criminal problem, or social problem, or a health problem. It’s the biggest national security problem we have.”
Tara* is one woman taking the fight to Victoria Police for failing to better protect her, and her three children, from family violence.
The first time police intervened in her relationship with Steven*, he had broken the phones and ransacked their house. It was written into the police database as “a lovers tiff”.
In 2006 after suffering years of abuse she took out the first of four intervention orders against Steven.
He had been on a two-day drinking spree and had destroyed her house. But the order, which prohibited Steven from assaulting, threatening, or being drunk near the home was ignored multiple times.
He would arrive drunk and be physically abusive.
“It’s always been made my responsibility to check his behaviour, to keep myself and the kids safe,” Tara said.
On two occasions in 2006, police officers who were aware of intervention orders dropped Steven off, drunk, at her home.
“Well, who are you going to ring? The [police] dropped me off,” he threatened when he got there.
This went on for years, over four intervention orders.
In 2018 Tara went against the state government in court, arguing that the police breached their duty of care.The ruling in the landmark case acknowledged her legal right to sue the police officers for negligence.
Tara’s experience might be severe, but she isn’t alone said Cathy Humphreys, Professor of Social Work at the University of Melbourne and co-director of the Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against women and their children.
“There’s about 25 per cent of men, who when a domestic violence order is taken out, actually stop,” she said.
“And 75 per cent who breach it in some way, some of them extremely seriously. Having vigilant police who are on the case and a court system that backs victims up, is an important part of making a consequence for violence.”
Professor Humphreys said we need to make sure women have adequate support when they leave.
“There is some notion that if she leaves me, I’m entitled to kill her. One woman a week and that’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s extremely serious stuff and that’s the sort of attitude we’ve got to break down.”
‘It seems like romance’
Domestic violence works on a scale. And the men might be different, but the tactics are the same, said University of New South Wales associate professor Michael Salter.
“In terms of domestic violence, it really comes down to men having to control their partners. They struggle with trust and they feel entitled to be obeyed and have their needs met,” he said.
“There are common patterns in relationships, common ways in which people find themselves undermined, their independence constrained.
“It seems like romance because the guy is saying ‘you’re so sexy, any man would be attracted to you.’ Then, ‘you shouldn’t wear that’.
“Then the jealousy, control, anger. It’s quite deceptive. So it’s easy to fall into the trap.”
But it doesn’t have to end in tragedy, Professor Salter said.
Tweet from @samanthamaiden
“The men that reach out are the men who have some insight and concerns about their behaviour.
“These are the men that are very likely to change, and we want them to be reaching out. We need to create as many opportunities for men to stop.”
To stop this violence, we all have a part to play said CEO of Our Watch Patty Kinnersly.
“As individuals, it starts with calling out sexist or derogatory comments at work, at home or in social situations.
“As parents, it is as simple as modelling behaviours that promote gender equality and by expanding their options beyond the confines of blue or pink.
“Through the leadership of all levels of government, workplaces, schools and sporting clubs we can build the momentum needed to tackle gender inequality.
“We all must be bold in speaking out against sexism, gender inequality and violence.”
The post Police all over Australia are failing domestic violence victims appeared first on The New Daily.
**Business and Marketing support on best price; Hit the link now----> http://bit.ly/2HsQmSi