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The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Jails funded as DV services stretched to breaking point
Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases. More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars. Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday. Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks. "But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said. "Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty." Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched. "It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters. About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance. Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser. The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027. An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15. Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs. More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase. Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier. Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre. NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors. "But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said. The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said. "This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said. The state budget will be handed down on June 24. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases. More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars. Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday. Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks. "But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said. "Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty." Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched. "It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters. About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance. Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser. The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027. An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15. Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs. More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase. Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier. Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre. NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors. "But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said. The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said. "This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said. The state budget will be handed down on June 24. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases. More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars. Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday. Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks. "But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said. "Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty." Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched. "It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters. About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance. Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser. The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027. An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15. Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs. More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase. Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier. Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre. NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors. "But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said. The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said. "This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said. The state budget will be handed down on June 24. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases. More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars. Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday. Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks. "But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said. "Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty." Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched. "It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters. About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance. Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser. The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027. An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15. Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs. More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase. Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier. Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre. NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors. "But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said. The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said. "This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said. The state budget will be handed down on June 24. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Perth Now
30-04-2025
- Perth Now
'Low act': rural artist admits defrauding dead friend
The day rural artist Mirree Bayliss's close friend died, she used his debit card to withdraw $180 from the bank. Her friend, Robert Randall, died in Orange hospital, in central western NSW, on August 17, 2024, which is when a small but "despicable" spending spree began. When the hospital told her of Mr Randall's death, she didn't inform his family, but instead used his card to make purchases and withdraw money totalling more than $5000 over two months. She withdrew large sums from an ATM at her local shopping centre, as well as making trips to McDonald's and supermarkets. One week after police issued a public appeal for information about Mr Randall's whereabouts on October 2, Bayliss withdrew $1000. Bayliss, 47, faced Orange Local Court on Wednesday, where she pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. Prosecutors withdrew six further charges, to which she had previously pleaded not guilty. Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Laura Horton said Bayliss called the ambulance for Mr Randall when he became unwell at her house and the hospital informed her of his death. "This caused a significant toll on her, she just lost someone she'd known and been in a relationship with for 10 years," Ms Horton told the court. Police prosecutor Carl Smith said the court could hold doubts about Bayliss's claim she was in a relationship with the 65-year-old. Court documents described Mr Randall as a "recluse", who lived with his mother until her death in 2017 and was mostly estranged from his family. "Unfortunately Mr Randall is not here today to tell us his side of the relationship," Sergeant Smith said. Magistrate Gary Wilson imposed a three-year conditional release order and did not record a conviction. While the financial offending was on the low end of the scale, Bayliss took advantage of someone close to her, Mr Wilson said. "There's no doubt, Ms Bayliss, that this ... was an extremely low act," he said. "To take advantage of your partner, who was a long-time friend, in the manner in which you did is just despicable." On her website, Bayliss describes herself as a contemporary Indigenous painter who hopes to build a sense of belonging through art. Her Instagram page, which is followed by nearly 38,000 people, describes her as an entrepreneur, an award-winning artist and author. Outside court, Mr Randall's brother - who asked not to be named - also raised doubts about the relationship with Ms Bayliss. "We spoke to him at the beginning of (August 2024) ... it was the best we'd ever heard Robert," the brother said. Bayliss left the court with a supporter and declined to comment on the case. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
The Guardian
06-02-2025
- The Guardian
Two men accused of attempting to set fire to Sydney synagogue denied bail
The two men accused of attempting to light a Newtown synagogue on fire have been refused bail. Adam Moule, 33, and Leon Sofilas, 37, who are co-accused, appeared via video in Downing Centre local court on Thursday when their individual solicitors made applications for them to be released on bail. The pair are alleged to have spray-painted 10 swastikas on a synagogue in Newtown on 11 January. They also allegedly sprayed an 'unknown liquid' on 'sticks and branches bundled together' and lit a fire that quickly burnt out, the court heard. Both have been charged with destroying property using fire. Magistrate Greg Grogin denied the pair's application for bail, saying there was an unacceptable risk they would commit a further offence. 'It is said that this offence was a hate-motivated crime,' the magistrate said. The attack was 'random' in nature but 'planned insofar as there was liquid there and taken to the location', Grogin told the court. 'The random nature of this offence is of great concern to the court.' Sofilas's lawyer, Steve Mav, said his client denied the allegations. He had since been moved to protective custody. 'If my client remains in custody we're talking about him potentially being there for one to two years in a very unsafe environment,' Mav told the court. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Mav told the court Sofilas was Tasered 11 times during his arrest. The magistrate noted that was not mentioned by police in their outline of the facts. Earlier in the proceedings, the court also heard an application for Sofilas's co-accused, Moule. Jenni Bridges, a lawyer from the Aboriginal Legal Service who was acting on behalf of Moule, argued he should be released on bail due to his mental health challenges. 'He is an Indigenous man with significant mental health issues,' she told the court. The court heard that Moule had not been given the medication he takes to treat his anxiety, depression and PTSD since being in custody. The magistrate ruled he should be given his medication. 'He has not been able to speak to his mother or his family,' his lawyer said, adding his mother found out he was in custody via the media. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'He was in custody at the time [his father died] and could not attend the funeral or participate in sorry business.' The court also heard that Moule lives in social housing and, under the rules, if he is absent from that home for more than six months, he will lose it. 'If he is not granted bail he will lose housing and once again become homeless,' she said. The police prosecutor, Peter Boctor, opposed bail, arguing there was an unacceptable risk to the community and the objective seriousness of the crime. In responding to Sofilas's application, Boctor said there was a risk he would interfere with witnesses and fail to appear at future court dates. Moule and Sofilas were due in court again on 3 April.
