Shocking statistics show the real face of coward attack crisis

More than 6 in 10 people seeking free government legal advice in NSW have revealed they were fleeing coward attacks, new statistics show.

More than 60 per cent of people seeking free government legal advice in NSW revealed they were fleeing coward attacks, new statistics show — painting a stark picture of Australia’s family violence crisis.

The agency, which supports people on low incomes, has seen a massive increase in the number of clients going through family court after being victims of coward attacks.

Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, there was a 63 per cent increase in the number of family law clients who experienced coward attacks — growing from 6316 people to more than 10,200 people in NSW.

In the agency’s Blacktown office — which falls in the same council area as a shocking alleged family violence incident that claimed the lives of three young kids last week — there was a 34.5 per cent jump in the same period.

The agency’s dedicated domestic violence unit also recorded a 36 per cent increase in caseload.

Flowers laid across the road from a house in Lalor Park where 3 children died in an alleged coward attack-related house fire. Picture: Richard Dobson

Legal Aid NSW domestic violence unit acting director Gabrielle Cantrall said they were expecting the number of clients experiencing coward attacks to continue to increase with the introduction of the new coercive control state laws.

“Demand for our domestic violence services has increased significantly in recent years across the state,” she said.

“In the Blacktown region we have seen an increase in the number of family law clients experiencing domestic violence.

“Given the high rates of domestic violence assault in the area, access to legal assistance is essential.

“Providing early access to free legal support can play an essential part in keeping victim-survivors safe.”

Domestic violence victims advocate Gabrielle Morrissey said despite the growing conversation around the scourge of family violence, it had not been followed with concrete actions.

“We haven’t moved from verbal commitment to action in any big transformative way,” she said.

“The majority of cases that are in family court have domestic violence as a feature of them and family court is busy every single day.”

The agency has seen a massive spike in the number of cases involving domestic violence.

Ms Morrissey said courts had a major role to play in creating short-term change in the war against coward attacks, while increased funding for awareness campaigns and support services could break the cycle in the long run.

“We need immediate short-term prevention as well … there is no real sense that if I breach my AVO, I’ll go to jail,” she said.

“We need to remove abusive men our of their homes, we need them to know there will be uncomfortable consequences.”

The national arm of Legal Aid has estimated that an additional 16,000 grants of free legal advice are needed to meet the current demand.

They are also advocating for the means testing standard to be increased by 1 per cent to help an additional 12,000 people.

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