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Herald Sun
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Herald Sun
Allan government accused of ‘passing the buck' on lifesaving domestic violence reform
The Allan government has been accused of 'passing the buck' on potentially lifesaving domestic violence reform that would warn victims about results of their abusers being hauled before the courts. State coroner John Cain called on Victoria Police and the government to alert all domestic violence victims with an active intervention order case about their abuser's court outcomes after James Fairhall stabbed Seaford mother Noeline Dalzell to death in front of their three children in 2020. The Herald Sun revealed earlier this month that Victoria Police knocked back the proposed reform, arguing the courts were better placed to issue details about the outcomes of proceedings. They also cited resourcing shortages within the force and victims being difficult to contact. When the Herald Sun questioned Victoria Police, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, the Department of Families Fairness and Housing and the courts about who should take responsibility for implementing the potentially lifesaving measure, each agency deflected responsibility to one another. Domestic violence advocates fear that bureaucratic 'merry-go-round' could place victims' lives at risk. 'What we're seeing now is a lot of finger pointing, and buck-passing and the lack of accountability for the overall system and how family violence is responded to and prevented in this state,' No to Violence chief executive Phillip Ripper told the Herald Sun. 'We hear stories all the time of men who continue to harass and intimidate victim-survivors, sometimes even from within the prison system itself, so these issues are real.' In high-risk cases, Judge Cain said police and government departments should warn victims about their attackers' prison release or court decisions within 48 hours. Currently, victims can opt in to be alerted through the state's Victims Register. But they cannot be put on the register if their perpetrator has not been sentenced, was sentenced to a community corrections order or was not found guilty because of mental impairment. They are also ineligible if the offender is serving a sentence in another state or territory or if their sentence, parole, supervision order or detention order has finished or they are transferred interstate. 'If Victoria Police don't have the resources to implement the recommendations of the coroner, they shouldn't just be left in the too hard basket,' Mr Ripper said. 'It's time we started shifting the burden and that courts, police, government agencies started to put victim survivors at the centre of their work.' Safe and Equal chief executive Tania Farha said the departmental 'oversight and handballing' meant the opt-in model of the register did not offer victims enough support. 'We've seen too many victim survivors fall through the cracks, resulting in serious harm and death,' she said. 'Relying on this as the only notification measure places the onus on a victim survivor to manage their own safety and keep track of their perpetrator.' Fairhall, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence for Ms Dalzell's murder, had an extensive history of family violence against her and had been released from jail three months before he killed her in their son's bedroom. Her family told the Herald Sun that the beloved mother might still be alive if she had been warned about Fairhall's release. 'Noeline wasn't notified when James got out. Had she been, it might have been a very different story,' her sister-in-law Jenny Dalzell said earlier this month. Despite fury from victims' families and advocates following the rejection of Judge Cain's key recommendation, Premier Jacinta Allan defended the current model. 'We have, through the multi agency risk and assessment management framework, all the agencies working together,' she said. Opposition family violence spokesman Cindy McLeish, however, slammed the Premier, saying it was 'absolutely vital' that victims are properly notified. A government spokesman said it was up to Victoria Police to accept or reject recommendations, and up to prosecutors to inform victims of court outcomes in criminal matters. She, however, noted that the government was looking at fast-tracking and lengthening family violence intervention orders.
Perth Now
12-06-2025
- Perth Now
Police slam call to alert victims of abuser's release
Police should be responding to family violence incidents, not stuck behind a desk delivering news to victims that abusers are being released from custody, a union says. Victoria's police union has slammed a recommendation from State Coroner John Cain that officers warn victims when perpetrators were getting out of jail or about their court outcomes. The recommendation was made following an inquest into the 2020 death of Noeline Dalzell, who was fatally stabbed by her abusive ex-partner in front of their three children. Judge Cain in November found police missed opportunities to protect Ms Dalzell before she was murdered by James Fairhall. Fairhall had been released from custody three months earlier for breaching a family violence intervention order designed to protect Ms Dalzell. He is now serving a 25-year sentence for her murder. Among his 11 recommendations, Judge Cain echoed calls from the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence for an improved information-sharing system between agencies. He also called on Victoria Police to carry out an independent review of its family violence units, saying investigators' actions fell short of best practice. Currently, victims are only notified about their abusers' movements if they opt-in to an alert system through the Victorian Victims Register. At the time of the report's release, Ms Dalzell's brother Malcolm and sister-in-law Jenny said the government had to implement the recommendations in full. "The state coroner has given government a road map forward, which if implemented, can help avoid our suffering being repeated," the couple said in a statement. The Police Association of Victoria said notifications should sit solely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety, allowing more police on the streets. "We don't have enough police to respond to victims of violence when they call us in the first place, let alone committing to further processes that would further diminish our emergency response and preventative abilities, by sending officers out in person to deliver these messages," the union told AAP on Thursday. "These perpetrators are leaving jails, not police stations. The responsibility for notifications should sit with the department that runs those facilities." Victoria Police echoed those sentiments in a letter to the coroner rejecting the recommendation. "We believe it wouldn't be appropriate for Victoria Police to have sole responsibility for notifications in every family violence related case within the Victorian court system," the statement said. "In some instances, there are other agencies involved who might be better placed to provide timely notifications of court outcomes or prison releases. "Last year alone, we arrested more than 30,000 offenders - that's about 84 a day, or one every 17 minutes." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Sky News AU
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Victorian Liberals demand answers as Allan government confirms electronic monitoring trial will see youth criminals placed in schools
The Victorian opposition is demanding answers after the Allan government confirmed its electronic monitoring trial would allow youth offenders to be placed in government schools. From Tuesday, Victorian courts will be able to impose new bail supervision requirements on up to 50 youth offenders charged with serious offences as a part of a two-year trial. Youth offenders aged between 14 and 18 will be eligible for the trial, with both the Children's Court and the Supreme Court able to mandate they wear tamper-proof ankle bracelets that will enable the Department of Justice and Community Safety to track their movements in real time. 'They will be subject to electronic monitoring, but it will also be combined with intensive supervision and support for those young offenders to make sure that they are best equipped to comply with their bail plan and their bail conditions,' Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny told reporters. Victoria's Youth Justice Commissioner, Andrea Davidson, said case managers would work proactively with families, the Department of Education, Victoria Police and support services. They will also work with the offenders to ensure support services are tailored to their individual needs – such as health-related services, counselling, employment, and connection to groups which provide mentoring and support through lived experience. 'We're committed to providing the best possible outcomes for young people in Victoria using an evidence-based understanding of what works to address offending behaviour and divert young people away from the community justice system,' Ms Davidson said. But Ms Kilkenny also confirmed the youth offenders could be placed in one of 57 'alternative education settings' in metropolitan Melbourne – which include government schools. This is despite Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll last month rejecting a proposal to see youth offenders placed in mainstream schools, describing it as 'wrong on so many levels'. 'It's not appropriate for kids wearing ankle bracelets to be in mainstream school settings,' Mr Carroll said. Under the trial now in effect, the Department of Education will make the final call on the most appropriate education setting for the youth offenders, while the Department of Justice and Community Safety will work with school leadership to 'maintain the safety of other students and staff'. 'I think it is really important to recognise too that for young people, one of the important protective factors is certainly education and linking young offenders back into an educational setting,' Attorney General Kilkenny said. The confirmation that offenders could be attending state schools prompted questions from the Victorian opposition, with Deputy Liberal leader Sam Groth stating that parents want their kids' teachers focused on teaching. 'They want to make sure their kids are getting the best education delivered by a teacher who is focused on teaching their kids, not focused on having to worry about the children's safety when it comes to these youth offenders,' he said. But when asked how the Coalition would manage the reintegration of young offenders into society, Mr Groth appeared to soften his stance. 'Look, first and foremost, is about community safety… but we also want to make sure that those youth offenders are able to reintegrate,' he said. Mr Groth suggested youth offenders could be educated through programs in youth detention centres or online, and that if the government wanted to put youth offenders in schools they needed to show 'some evidence' supporting the plan. 'If the best decision is to put these youth offenders wearing ankle bracelets into a government school, then show us that evidence – because this trial has happened in other places around the world,' he said. 'There is no silver bullet when it comes to this issue. But we've got to make sure we're putting all of those people in the community who are law-abiding citizens at the front and foremost of all the decisions that we make.'
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Youth crime prevention programs face axe as Victorian government funding dwindles
Several programs supporting young people at risk of reoffending will be cut unless the Victorian government increases funding, as it can be revealed the state awarded only one new crime prevention grant in the past financial year. It comes as Labor's controversial 'tough' bail laws edge closer to passing parliament on Thursday, amid ongoing debate over what some have labelled a 'youth crime crisis' in the state. When announcing the new bail laws last week, the premier, Jacinta Allan, said her government had already made 'substantial reform' to the youth justice system in 2024, which was accompanied with 'additional resources for programs that are focused on looking at what more can be done to divert young people away from crime'. But those working in crime prevention are now sounding the alarm about dwindling funding for programs addressing the root causes of youth offending. Jesuit Social Services has warned the organisation will be forced to cut an after-hours program for young people with criminal justice system involvement unless the government provides additional support in its May budget, while two other programs aimed at curbing youth offending are also expected to end in June without further funding. The Victorian government has slashed resources for community crime prevention programs in recent years as it works to bring its budget under control, with only $12.9m allocated in 2024/25, a 46% reduction from the previous financial year. It opted instead to allocate $6.6m to police to run an early intervention program and $34.4m for a two-year trial of ankle bracelets, which was panned by legal groups. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The Department of Justice and Community Safety awarded just one grant in 2024/25, despite awarding $126m to 1,729 projects since 2011 through its Community Crime Prevention Program. The 14-person team that previously administered the grants was disbanded last year. The opposition leader, Brad Battin, said he was deeply concerned that the root causes of crime were not being addressed by the state government. 'In the past 18 months, the government has cut more funding for crime prevention – only to see crime increase. And now, we'll see more young people in prison, costing Victorian taxpayers even more,' he said. Battin said while the Coalition supported stronger bail conditions, there needed to be more investment in intervention programs for youth at risk of entering the justice system. 'We need to ensure these young people go back through the education system, have employment opportunities, or get access to the services they need – especially for mental health support,' he said. The Youth Junction's Youth Umbrella Project Wyndham was the sole recipient of new funding from the Department of Justice and Community Safety in 2024/25, receiving a $195,500 grant. But two other programs at the centre – the Youth Behavioural Change Program and NorthWest Safe – have only continued using cash reserves and are expected to end in June unless further investment is secured. Eamon Brockenbrough, program manager at the Youth Junction, said the programs 'welcome young people facing tough challenges – many caught up in court matters involving family tensions or making risky choices'. He said 84% of participants stayed clear of further offending, with 73% engaging in prosocial activities. 'Rather than defining them by these moments, we see the whole person – their strengths, their dreams, and their capacity for positive change,' Brockenbrough said. Positive outcomes were also seen at Living Free, a project in Frankston that ended in June 2024 due to lack of funding. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The project, which worked with girls at risk of criminal justice involvement or sexual exploitation, wrote to both the state and commonwealth governments for funding throughout 2023 and 2024 but received no support. Sarah Covill, general manager for youth justice programs at Jesuit Social Services, said the organisation's after-hours program has provided intensive support to 60 young people aged 10–21 involved with the criminal justice system since 2019. She said it offers practical support, a sense of community belonging and 'opportunities to build a positive, non-offending identity'. But funding constraints have limited the service's ability to meet demand and it is currently able to support only 40% of the young people in need across metropolitan Melbourne. Without additional funding beyond 30 June, the after-hours program will end, creating a 'critical service gap' that could have 'significant impacts' on young people most at risk of reoffending and their communities. While Anglicare has been spared from recent cuts, its chief executive, Paul McDonald, expressed concern about the lack of funding for evidence-based programs that reduce contact with police and the justice system. He said while the government has piloted such models leading to a 'reduction in arrests and offending from many of the young people involved', it had been 'shy or resistant' to invest in proven programs that could make a difference 'at scale'. The Victorian Greens justice spokesperson, Katherine Copsey, said if the premier was concerned about improving community safety and not 'the optics', she should 'listen to the evidence and fund these programs we know are proven to work'. In a statement, the minister for police, community safety and victims, Anthony Carbines, said the government was providing police with 'the resources they need to protect Victorians and prevent crime' including 'programs that address the root causes of reoffending'. 'The justice system will be resourced adequately in response to the expected increase in remand numbers from our law changes,' he said.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- The Guardian
More than 12,000 family violence intervention orders issued in Victoria with crucial words missing
Thousands of family violence intervention orders in Victoria have been issued with crucial words missing, with the state government planning to rush a bill through parliament to ensure the orders are complied with. The attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, on Monday announced the discovery of a 'printing error' affecting family violence intervention orders made in the magistrates and children's courts between 15 November 2024 and 5 March 2025. She said the complete wording of the courts' orders was missing in printed copies of the orders for service on respondents. About 11,815 magistrates court orders and 685 children's court orders were affected by the printing error, a source told Guardian Australia. The missing words were: 'the court orders that the respondent must not'. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Kilkenny said the orders made during the period were valid and both Victoria police and the Department of Justice and Community Safety had assured her the error 'has not affected anyone's safety to date'. But the government will on Tuesday introduce the family violence protection amendment bill 2025 to parliament to ensure the printing error does not affect the protection or enforceability of the orders. 'The Victorian government is acting out of an abundance of caution to make sure that respondents continue to comply with those orders, and that perpetrators are held to account,' Kilkenny said. 'My focus is ensuring that an error like this is never repeated and stamping out the unacceptable failures that allowed it to occur. All options are on the table to ensure this never happens again.' In a statement, the magistrates court said the issue includes interim, final, extension and variations of family violence intervention orders. 'The order made by the court is valid, but any copy of the order printed between these dates contains the error and is not a true copy of the order,' it reads. 'We acknowledge this may cause concern and apologise for the error. The safety of affected family members and clarity for all court participants has been our priority as we worked to rectify this issue.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The court said any family member or respondent affected by an order who would like a complete copy of their order should contact the MCV Service Centre. The government intends to fast-track the bill through both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, though in the upper house they will require the support of either the Coalition or seven crossbenchers for it to pass. A spokesperson for Victoria police said the issue 'does not affect the validity of orders issued by the court nor the ability of Victoria police to continue to enforce intervention orders and importantly hold perpetrators of family violence to account'. 'Victoria police is working closely with Court Services Victoria to ensure that court proceedings involving victims of family violence are not impacted,' they said.
