Victoria Police could ‘ban’ offenders from victims under family violence reforms

Major family violence reforms under review by the state government would give police greater powers to permanently ban offenders from their victims.

Police would be given greater powers to permanently ban family violence perpetrators from their victims under major reforms being actively considered by the Allan government.

The Herald Sun can reveal the proposal would see police given the powers to issue permanent family violence safety notices on perpetrators, avoiding the need for victims to seek intervention orders through the courts.

Currently police powers limit to 14 days the orders that can be made, after which victims must take their perpetrators to court to seek further protection.

But police sources said many notices simply lapsed because victims were fearful of facing their attackers.

Jacinta Allan, who met with domestic violence advocates on Friday, has setup a ministerial working group to discuss reforms to address the family violence epidemic.

It is understood the government is broadly supportive of introducing enduring family violence notices.

The government is understood to be broadly supportive of the proposed changes.

Victoria Police, which issued an estimated 11,500 family violence safety notices last year, has been actively lobbying the government for some time.

A spokesman said they would give “victim-survivors immediate and long-lasting protection and helping them avoid any trauma confronting a perpetrator in court.”

It comes as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Scrutiny of Government, Nick McGowan, on Friday urged the government to consider bold reform.

As well as calling for the publication of real time family violence data, including the number of intervention orders made and breached, he has also called for a trial of electronic monitoring for perpetrators.

“There is no silver bullet but we must be bold – if not now, when,” he said.

“How many women and young ladies must be killed before we take decisive action?

“All sides of politics are denouncing these heinous acts, virtue signalling at will, but beyond the protestations there’s little else by way of effective deterrents. We have to be brave to try and trial new deterrents.”

The proposed reforms would give police greater powers to stop perpetrators.

The South Australian government this week announced tough new laws including forcing defendants on bail for breaching domestic violence intervention orders to wear electronic monitors and follow strict home detention orders.

They would mean defendants would be unable to leave home unless for a specific approved reason – such as work or a doctor’s appointment.

And they would be fitted with an electronic monitor device that pings real time alerts if those bail conditions are breached.

In NSW higher risk domestic violence offenders are also electronically monitored to ensure compliance with court orders.

A number of senior Victorian government sources said there were no plans to introduce a similar scheme here, but that the Premier was open to exploring all initiatives.