Lauren Novak: Key agency pledges to start publishing information about domestic violence in SA
DATA that can paint a true picture of the domestic violence problem in South Australia has, until recently, been frustratingly difficult to extract, writes Lauren Novak.
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SOMEWHERE in our community lurks a serial abuser who has breached court orders, intended to protect the victims of their violence, a whopping 40 times.
The Advertiser can only reveal the extent of this disrespect for the law following repeated and time-consuming requests for information held by the state’s courts.
Authorities argue they are doing everything possible to tackle the scourge of domestic violence, but they’re failing on one simple KPI.
Data that can paint a true picture of the problem has, until recently, been frustratingly difficult to extract. We know it’s collected but it’s rarely made publicly available.
But in a win for transparency, a key agency has finally pledged to start publishing information which can help us better confront the impact of domestic violence in SA.
State Courts Administrator Julie-Anne Burgess recently told a parliamentary committee that the Courts Administration Authority will “more routinely” publish figures on the number of intervention orders granted to protect victims and the number of times they are breached by abusers.
Until now, this information has only been released in an ad hoc way, following Freedom of Information requests by this newspaper.
“We have never denied that FOI request so there is a sense of, if we know it is coming, then we can proactively release it,” Ms Burgess said.
It’s a simple and sensible step to take, making it all the more baffling that it has taken so long.
If IT problems have held up the process, the courts are not alone. The Child Protection Department came under fire from Royal Commissioner Margaret Nyland for operating a computer system that renders it unable to analyse even basic statistical trends.
Even so, that department last year made the effort to start proactively publishing a series of key statistics online – also following repeated requests from The Advertiser. The public has since been able to keep a monthly check on indicators such as how many calls reporting child abuse are going unanswered.
In some cases it may not be a deliberate attempt by an agency to keep information secret, but a lack of motivation or a matter of priorities. Analysing data can be time-consuming and other work may be more pressing.
But if we are to get a handle on these important social issues, we need to know what we’re dealing with.
Public awareness is crucial to pressuring agencies to improve and changing community attitudes. If we’re committing taxpayer funds to addressing these social ills, government decision-makers need the public to understand why the spending is necessary.
Let’s hope more agencies follow this lead.