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Labor’s lockdowns magnified Victoria’s family violence crisis

Increasing family-related violence, leaving victims to long wait for public housing support making it hard for them to escape home violence.

By news@gippsland - 18th June 2021 - Back to News

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams has been forced to admit today that Labor’s harsh lockdowns have 'magnified’ Victoria’s family violence crisis. It was in response to questioning in parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), after shocking increases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the extended periods of enforced lockdown.

Victims of domestic violence or abuse are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing a range of mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and thoughts of suicide

Year of horror

It was a horror year for women and children suffering violence in the family home. Last year there were more calls to family violence support lines for women and children, more family violence intervention order breaches and more family violence-related crime against property and against the person.

Victims seeking housing support

At the same time, fewer people completed violence-related programs for family violence offenders in community corrections and fewer men completed Men’s Behavioural Change Programs. And women and children seeking housing support to leave a violent relationship have been abandoned by the Labor Government.

Long wait for public housing support

Despite damning recommendations by the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Skyrocketing demand for crisis and emergency housing during the COVID crisis hasn’t been met, with the average wait time for public housing blowing out to 11 months.

Increasing family violence

Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Emma Kealy said, "Labor’s lockdowns that left women and children locked up with the perpetrators they are desperately trying to escape. The Government’s own budget papers even attribute the increase in family violence-related crime as ‘due to people being contained in the home under the Chief Health Officer’s Directions’ (Budget Paper 3, p286).

Pictures from The Police Association Victoria Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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