Victorian law makers look to toughen up sentencing following spate shocking murders
Victorian law makers will look to toughen up sentencing and crack down on domestic violence perpetrators after a series of shocking murders across the state.
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Victorian law makers will look to toughen up sentencing and crack down on domestic violence perpetrators following a series of shocking murders.
Two weeks ago, an emotional Premier Jacinta Allan pleaded for violence against women to stop.
Hannah McGuire’s body had only days earlier been found in a burnt out car and police charged her ex-partner Lachie Young with her murder.
She was the third woman to be killed within three months in the Ballarat region alone, following the deaths of Samantha Murphy allegedly by Patrick Stephenson and Rebecca Young by ex-partner Ian Butler in February.
On Wednesday Ms Allan had to echo that same speech yet again.
Emma Bates, 49, was found dead in her Cobram home. The cause of death was on Wednesday night unknown.
Her partner, John Torney, was being held in custody and questioned by homicide squad detectives.
It’s a pattern that’s all too familiar in Victoria and across Australia this year.
Thirty Australian women have lost their lives in the first 114 days of 2024.
Thirty-one if Emma Bates joins that long sickening list.
Ms Allan described the violence against women as a “national crisis” saying it was “unacceptable” and “it has to stop”.
She again pleaded with every Victorian to call out bad behaviour towards women. She urged that speaking up could save a life.
“They’ve lost their life, either at the hands of a current or former partner or they’ve lost their life at the hands of a complete stranger who seemed intent on inflicting harm against women,” Ms Allan said.
“This has to stop.”
She continued: “We’ve all got a leadership opportunity here. If we see disrespect being shown we’ve got to call it out. We’ve got to say that it’s wrong because by doing that, you never know, it might just save a life.”
The Premier has asked Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes, Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins and Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward to lead a taskforce to see what more can be done.
Ms Allan said she was “determined” to take action to ensure women could safely live in Victoria.
“I’m determined to look at what more we can do to strengthen the work here,” she said.
“We know as a government we need to do more. Governments around the country need to do more. We need to look at our programs, we need to look at our systems, we need to look at our legal systems about how we can strengthen the support for women.”
“We have programs in our schools to help kids understand at the earliest age why it’s important to have respect for women and what happens when you don’t.
“Because what happens when you don’t is you see too many women continuing to lose their life.
“This is something we all have a responsibility to do – in our daily lives, in our families, in our workplaces and when we’re out socialising,” she implored.
Originally published as Victorian law makers look to toughen up sentencing following spate shocking murders
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