‘Victim-survivors do not have access to the added protection of personal safety alarms’: John Cain

A coroner has called for more survivors of domestic violence to be given potentially lifesaving duress alarms, after investigating the brutal stabbing murder of a Werribee mum by her son.

Domestic violence victims should be given greater access to duress alarms to immediately flag with authorities when they are in danger, a Coroner has called.

The killing of Australian women by men has grown into a national crisis, with intervention orders failing to protect many victims and state and federal authorities now urgently planning reforms to increase victims’ safety.

State Coroner Judge John Cain this week called on the Victorian government to reform how it deals with victim-survivors during high-risk periods immediately following an act of violence or request for protection.

He recommended Family Safety Victoria expand victims’ access to devices including personal safety alarms so they can immediately and subtly alert police when their lives are in danger.

The coroner wants more protection for DV victims in high-risk periods.

Judge Cain made the recommendation after investigating the tragic stabbing murder of Werribee mum Caroline Willis by her adult son Jamie Willis just two hours after authorities granted her request for protection from him.

Ms Willis, 69, repeatedly sought protection from authorities during the years of violence inflicted on her by her son, ending in May 2018 when he entered her home, despite warnings not to, and stabbed her 19 times with a kitchen knife.

He tried to cover up the killing with a fictitious story that a group of men had taken him hostage and brutalised his mother.

Willis was found guilty of murder in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2019 and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, with a 14-year non-parole period.

Judge Cain said Ms Willis’ murder exemplifies “the high-risk nature” of the period immediately following a victims’ bid for protection, and that personal safety alarms – including those fitted with GPS technology – increase victims’ safety by deterring offenders and immediately alerting police to acts of violence.

He pointed to evidence by the Australian Institute of Criminology which found a 40 – 70 per cent reduction in the prevalence of family violence revictimisation following provision of rapid alert devices to victims who have protection orders in place.

Too few victim-survivors are currently provided with duress alarms.

Duress alarms are offered to family violence victim-survivors under the state government’s Personal Safety Initiative.

However, Judge Cain found very few people are eligible for the security devices and that they take weeks to be implemented.

“This means that victim-survivors do not have access to the added protection of personal safety alarms and other safe at home responses during one of the most high-risk periods,” Judge Cain said.

He called on the government to review the program to enable more victims access to the security technology and for it to be made available immediately following instances of family violence or requests for protection.

The proposed expansion would require close collaboration with police, including the specialist Family Violence Action Taskforce, and the Magistrates’ Courts of Victoria.

Monash University family violence expert Kate Fitz-Gibbon said the state’s intervention order system is perilously flawed and needs to be fixed.

“For far too long women’s safety advocates and victim-survivors have lamented the failure of the intervention order system to enhance safety,” she said.

“It is well and truly time to examine all facets of the intervention order system, including responses to breaches.

One of the highest risk periods for domestic violence victims can be immediately following a their request for protection.

“We must question whether the system is prioritising victim safety and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for their abusive behaviours.”

Yesterday the Herald Sun revealed the state’s magistrates’ courts dealt with 11,917 family violence intervention order breaches last financial year alone.

The most common penalty for a breach was a fine, the average amount being just $523.84, despite breaches being a criminal offence which carries a maximum two years jail or fine of almost $47, triple-0.

A spokesperson for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing said work was underway to try end family violence and help those experiencing it.

“Our work to reform the family violence system includes increasing information sharing across the family violence sector and providing more options for victim-survivors to remain safely at home, so their lives are less disrupted,” the spokesperson said.

Twenty-six women have been killed in Australia since the start of 2024 – equivalent to one woman every four days.