Domestic violence reforms passed parliament last month and a former Walcha resident who was abused by her husband for 18 years before getting away says they are proactive and relevant.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The default duration of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs) will double and police will be able to make urgent changes to strengthen orders to protect victims, under NSW Government legislation passed by Parliament in November.
“Research shows that strangulation is a common mode of abuse, which surprised me, though it shouldn't have considering my ex husband tried to strangle me on at least three occasions,” said Deborah Thomson who wrote the book ‘Whose life is it Anyway?’ from the journals she kept throughout the years she suffered in an abusive relationship while living in New England.
“The reforms and improvements to laws and guidelines pertaining to strangulation in particular, and domestic violence in general, are now reflecting the true nature of family abuse.
“I understand, and have experienced, the intense fear victims feel after leaving an offender. These changes help to support victims and may reduce that fear as stronger penalties are applied, and hopefully heeded by perpetrators of violence.”
Governments are now starting to listen
- Deborah Thomson
Attorney General Mark Speakman and Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pru Goward said the proposed laws, which also include an easier-to-prosecute strangulation offence, will boost protection for victims of domestic violence and help reduce re-offending.
“These potentially life-saving reforms are a key component of the NSW Government’s wide-reaching strategy to reduce the scourge of domestic violence,” Mr Speakman said.
The changes to the ADVO system mean: the default length of ADVOs will increase from 12 months to two years; courts will be able to grant indefinite ADVOs in severe cases; ADVOs will automatically extend for two years after an adult offender is released from prison, a period when the risk of reoffending is known to be elevated; and senior police will be given the power to immediately vary ADVOs to respond to serious and immediate risks to victims, until a court can consider the matter.
“Research indicates ADVOs are an important tool to help reduce reoffending and these improvements will help victims get the urgent and ongoing protection they need,” said Mr Speakman.
Ms Thomson said the changes to the ADVO system deal specifically with areas of reform that have been drastically calling for tighter measures.
“I especially appreciate the indefinite ADVOs for severe cases, and the extension of ADVOs for two years after offenders are released from prisons,” she said.
“I understand, and have experienced, the intense fear victims feel after leaving an offender. These changes help to support victims and may reduce that fear as stronger penalties are applied, and hopefully heeded by perpetrators of violence.”
Greater prison sentences may not deter an abuser said Ms Thomson, but longer sentencing may give them pause.
I understand, and have experienced, the intense fear victims feel after leaving an offender
- Deborah Thomson
“If these reforms had been in place when I left the abuse in 2003 I believe I would have felt better-supported by both police and the court system, regardless of whether these reforms act as a deterrent.
Ms Thomson said the changes were no doubt due to the greater scrutiny of professionals who deal with domestic violence and the willingness of victims to come forward and disclose their abuse to those who can make a real difference.
“Governments are now starting to listen,” she said.
Read Also:
Vanessa Arundale
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
