Kids exposed to family abuse to be targeted in DV package

An emergency domestic violence package from the state government will target three key areas, including support for children and young people exposed to family abuse.

An emergency domestic violence package from the state government will target three key areas, including support for children and young people exposed to family abuse.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal the package – to be delivered in the coming days – will change the government’s approach to domestic and family violence with a new focus on prevention to complement existing crisis supports.

The third tranche of the package will tackle measures to boost safety for women fleeing violence.

To be unveiled “within days”, the package will mark a series of reforms in the state, which will also include a review into bail for those charged with violent offences.

Speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday, Deputy Premier Prue Car also foreshadowed a greater commitment to domestic violence prevention in the upcoming state budget, but warned that many of the necessary changes would be difficult to achieve quickly.

“We’re talking about big pieces of work,” she said.

“We’re not going to treat the people of NSW as mugs and say that we will be able to do things quickly and easily if they cannot be done quickly and easily. The people of NSW do want us, rightly, to come out with something very soon as an emergency package and we will be doing that.”

Other areas which will be addressed include respectful relationships education, with Ms Car declaring how the focus could not just simply be “women at the bottom of the cliff” with initiatives having to also focus on women who were “about to fall off”.

“We will deliver an emergency package within days, we’re not talking about months or weeks here, within days.”

The special cabinet meeting was held the day after childcare worker and Forbes mum Molly Ticehurst was laid to rest after being murdered, allegedly by an ex-partner.

Among those to participate in the meeting included Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre chief executive Christine Robinson, NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin and prominent domestic violence campaigner and 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the government repeated its commitment to consider all options in tackling the scourge.

“Nothing is off the table,” it said.

“We understand there are gaps in the system.

“We know that crisis responses will not be enough. That is why we will also work on developing medium and long-term solutions to address domestic and family violence.”

Last week, state opposition leader Mark Speakman called for people charged with serious domestic violence offences and released on bail to be forced to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

The Coalition also wants age appropriate respect education in schools to be ramped up and registrars banned from hearing applications in serious domestic violence cases.

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