Domestic violence victim ‘distressed’ after Parole Board dismisses pleas for safety

A domestic violence victim is reeling after the Parole Board dismissed her pleas for safety and said her attacker’s job was too important to stop him working near her.

A domestic violence victim is feeling “unheard” and “distressed” after the Parole Board dismissed her pleas to forbid her attacker from working 150m from her in Adelaide’s CBD because “full-time work for any parolee is important”.

The woman survived terrifying attacks at the hands of her former partner who had pinned her down by her neck so she struggled to breath, bit, slapped and hit her, held her against a wall and attempted to rape her.

He was jailed for 4½ years and after serving an almost three-year non-parole period was released from prison last August to live just 1km away from her inner southern suburbs home. The day before his release she moved her family to another suburb.

The man was initially excluded from the CBD but has since had his parole conditions varied and he was allowed to work just a few streets away from the woman.

Last month, those conditions were again varied and he now has permission to work just 150m away, causing her “immense distress” and “retraumatisation”.

The woman wrote to the Parole Board several times urging them to change their mind. They have since written back, explaining their reasoning.

“If we were to preclude him working at that site, he would lose his job. He is working full-time and is likely to get some promotion. His employer speaks well of him. He has a good work ethic,” Parole Board presiding member Frances Nelson said in the letter.

Ms Nelson said work was a protective factor for the attacker and his victim because there would be no restrictions on his movements when his parole period ended in August 2024.

“Full-time work for any parolee is important,” she said.

“One of the internationally recognised indicators for success on parole is a structured day and preferably employment together with stable accommodation which he has achieved.

“It is often difficult for someone with a criminal record to get employment.”

The letter states the attacker has not attempted to contact the woman, nor made any threats. They said the man had, on one occasion, seen the woman walk past his workplace and “turned and walked in the opposite direction”.

“The Parole Board needs to undertake a balancing exercise having regard to your concerns and the overall considerations, particularly having regard to the future,” the letter says.

The woman said she felt “powerless” and “helpless” when she received the letter. She said she had hoped the justice system would prioritise her healing while the perpetrator was on parole.

“The responses I have received thus far seem to prioritise the perpetrator’s progress and potential promotion over my mental wellbeing and rights as a survivor,” she said.

“The Parole Board are undermining all the work I have done so far to be safe and secure in my environment. I just want to live my life.

“I firmly believe that during the parole period I should be granted protection to heal from the horrendous crimes inflicted upon me.”

She had contacted multiple organisations for help and is currently seeking legal advice about the decision.