Police reveal how many reported crimes are connected to domestic violence
Police investigated more than 10,800 crimes linked to domestic violence last financial year, from murder and assaults to robbery, trespass, abduction and harassment. EXPLORE THE MAP.
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Police investigated more than 10,800 crimes linked to domestic violence last financial year, from murder and assaults to robbery, trespass, abduction and harassment.
For the first time, SA police have analysed reported crimes to reveal those connected to abuse in relationships and families.
The results reveal serious assaults were the most common and the crimes occurred most frequently in the northern suburbs and regional areas.
The rate of offending spiked about 20 per cent in the warmer months, covering events including the AFL Grand Final, Christmas and Mad March.
Not all incidents resulted in charges being laid and it is not known how many offenders were convicted.
The data has been described as a “baseline” for authorities to inform future responses to violence and target prevention where it is most needed.
SA Police Chief Superintendent Doug Barr told The Advertiser that many people thought of domestic violence as assault but the new data show “it is so much more”.
“We have started, because of our interest in trying to ascertain the size of the problem, to flag (crimes) as domestic violence,” he said.
“We have a tick box on the form for every crime we go to. We will listen to victims and … and if we suspect they’re domestic abuse-related (crimes), then we will flag them as such.”
Chief Supt Barr conceded the figures did not capture all family violence-related crimes and believed the issue was “completely under-reported”.
“It’s indicative of a big problem in our community, much bigger perhaps than what is reflected in these offences,” he said. “You will see a trend now … and see what we’re doing about it.”
In 2017-18, there were more than 7100 physical assaults and 448 sexual assaults committed in domestic violence scenarios.
There were two murders and seven other homicide offences, which could include manslaughter or attempted murder. More than 1800 cases of property damage were reported, including 29 involving fire or explosion.
Threatening behaviour accounted for 380 reports, theft 280 and harassment or abduction 220. Trespassing at a victim’s home or workplace was the basis for 241 charges.
The data also includes non-physical crimes such as graffiti (20), blackmail, extortion and similar offences (16), non-contact sexual offences such as flashing (16), and dangerous acts or those intended to cause injury, but which may not have resulted in physical harm (278).
Penalties range from life in prison to maximum jail terms of two to 20 years.
Examples among the 10,000 crimes could include:
BRANDISHING a gun and threatening a partner or child.
ENDANGERING a family member by driving at them or forcing them into a car.
RELEASING intimate images of a partner.
SPRAY painting offensive language on their fence.
SENDING excessive, harassing text messages.
BREAKING into an ex-partner’s home and stealing items.
GROPING a partner or child.
Adelaide mother of two Stacey experienced a litany of abuse during a three-year relationship with her ex – much of which went unpunished. In early 2014, the man – whom The Advertiser has not named for safety reasons – was charged and convicted of aggravated assault with a threat to kill and possession of a weapon after an incident at her home. He was given a good behaviour bond for the assault charge and a three-month suspended sentence for the weapon but spent no time in jail.
“I was just flabbergasted,” Stacey said. “The gun (offence) got a higher penalty than harming me. What message does that send about the value of my life?”
She recalled other behaviour in the relationship, including threats to kill her, punching her in the head, putting her in a choke hold and punching the fridge, causing damage.
Stacey urged police interviewing victims of physical abuse to ask about other incidents in the relationship, such as property damage, threats or harassment, to “recognise what that person has endured”.
MPs this week passed laws creating a new offence of non-fatal strangulation – a violent act that is often used as a way to control a partner, rather than an attempt to kill them.
The laws also include crimes such as taking invasive photos of a partner without their consent and locking them out of their home in a broader definition of abuse.
Finally, cries for help are heard
The police response towards domestic violence is having an “exceptional” impact in regional South Australia, an expert says, amid data revealing higher rates of related offences .
Police and ABS figures analysed by The Advertiser showed the top three postcodes ranked by the rate of offences by population were in the Far North followed by Christie Downs, Port Augusta and Whyalla.
One family or domestic violence-related offence is recorded for every four people living in the APY lands region of Mintabie, Welbourn Hill and Marla.
Nullarbor, Coober Pedy, Whyalla Norrie and Port Augusta have some of the highest rates of domestic violence offences in the state.
Flinders University social work Professor Sarah Wendt said geographical distance, social isolation, shortage of resources and low socio-economic backgrounds are factors that contribute to the prevalence of domestic violence in regional areas.
“That isolation limits access to other social support, networks, and formal services which could exacerbate or contribute to the prevalence of domestic and family violence perhaps being higher in rural communities,” she said.
“We then see the low socio-economic rise in the statistics and become more visible because they have to reach out to a limited network – often police or crisis services – because they don’t have the means to leave.”
But there is good news: the enormity of the issue is being recognised and police are responding better to domestic violence incidents better than 20 years ago.
Prof Wendt visited Murray Bridge, Whyalla, the Riverland and Mt Gambier recently as part of research for Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety Limited, and found that the police frontline response was encouraging victims to report offences.
“This is the first time that women very clearly say the police response was exceptional, that the relationships with the frontline police and DV services were working very well,” she said.
“When I first started in this research area, there were a lot of complaints about police. When I went into the rural and regional area recently it was the opposite.”
While responses are getting better, Prof Wendt says longer-term support such as mental-health therapy for victims often falls by the wayside because of lack of resources.
This risks victims returning to partners or ending up in a “crisis merry-go-round”.
Earlier this week, The Advertiser reported Limestone Coast’s only crisis accommodation service, Centacare, experienced a 37 per cent increase in demand over the last year. In 2017-18, 92 women and children were accommodated by the service, compared with 67 the previous year.
Safety plan
If you’re planning to leave:
■ Leave when partner is absent.
■ Have emergency contact list.
■ Organise accommodation in advance.
■ Work out how you’ll get there.
■ Pack a bag with essentials.
■ Make arrangements for pets.
■ Be tech safe when using computers, smart phones,etc.
■ If it’s safe, have a code word to alert your children to run to safety of neighbours.
■ If it’s safe, tell a trusted relative or friend of your plans to flee.
■ If without income, call Centrelink on 13 61 50.
■ Try to have mobile phone with you at all times.
If you’re planning to stay:
■ Talk to domestic violence services for confidential advice.
■ Keep mobile phone charged and on you at all times.
■ If you can, tell family and friends you fear for your safety.
■ Open your own bank account to save some emergency money.
■ Leave a set of car and house keys with family and friends.
■ Photocopy personal documents (birth/marriage certificates, passport, children’s records).
■ Keep notes of violent incidents (when, where, how)
■ Photograph evidence of abuse and property damage, keep abusive emails, texts, letters and leave in a safe place.
● For help call the Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 1800 800 098 or visit www.womenssafetyservices.com.au for more safety tips and advice.
Christmas and Mad March are danger periods
Frontline domestic violence services in SA are experiencing a peak period of demand in the lead-up to Christmas – and it’s not expected to abate until Mad March is over.
For the first time, SA police data on domestic violence-related offences has added weight to the long-held anecdotal presumption that domestic violence increases during the holiday period.
Recently released police data shows a more than 20 per cent increase in offences from October last year to March this year compared with the rest of the 2017-18 year.
Serious assaults resulting in no injury jumped 26 per cent in January to March compared with the July-September quarter last year.
And there was a 40 per cent spike in property damage and environmental offences in October-December 2017, compared with the previous three months.
“October was our busiest month,” Vinnies Women’s Crisis Centre operations manager Penny Odgen said.
She said the 20-room crisis accommodation facility in the northern suburb was full most days in October.
“We were running at about 98 per cent,” she said.
Ms Ogden said the highest demand for the centre ran concurrently with the spring school holidays (September 29-October 14).
Vinnies can accommodate up to 80 women and children and their pets.
Women’s Safety Services SA executive manager (crisis and integrated responses) Kathrine Cock said the domestic violence crisis line received hundreds more calls during February (19 per cent increase), March (45 per cent), and September (12 per cent), but that at other times during the year the complexity of issues being presented was also increasing.
Mrs Cock said calls for help increased around events such as the SANFL and AFL grand finals, and after special events such as Christmas, New Year and public holidays in the first three months of the year.
“March seems to be our absolute busiest time,” Mrs Cock said. “We tend to have major events (in March) and a lot of tourism, partying and excessive behaviours which can impact on someone’s experience of domestic and family violence.
“Our peak periods coincide with events when many of the hotels are booked out with tourists and women have limited safe accommodation options.”
Christmas was also a time of emotional and financial stress, creating tensions in families.
Time to act on the signs
Analysis – Lauren Novak
This week, I heard about a woman who came close to committing suicide after enduring years of abuse from the man she lived with.
“He never laid a finger on her,” explained the person who told me the story. But physical violence isn’t the only abuse that instils fear and ruins lives.
New data from SA Police shows the extensive range of crimes committed by domestic abusers outside of acts such as sexual or physical assault.
Last financial year, they used blackmail, extortion, arson, vandalism, graffiti and threats to control and frighten their family members.
And not in small numbers.
There were more than 1800 reports of property damage in a family violence situation, 380 cases of threatening behaviour and 280 robberies or thefts.
Often these acts, such as harassing a partner with 100 text messages, threatening to harm them or breaking into their home, are warning signs of a pattern of escalating behaviour that can very likely lead to something like assault, rape or even murder.
Police are being trained to better detect and link these crimes to violence in the home, so we can expect these numbers to rise over time.
For anyone experiencing this kind of abuse who doesn’t think it constitutes a crime, know that it does and it can be punished by law.
For support, phone:
- Domestic Violence Crisis Line on 1800 800 098
- 1800 RESPECT
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