Police warn Victoria’s ‘worst of the worst’ family violence offenders warned they can’t hide

Family violence perpetrators are being warned that “closed doors won’t protect” them as police prepare to carry out raids on the most serious offenders hiding in Victoria and interstate.

A team of 500 police will raid the homes and businesses of more than 3000 wanted family violence perpetrators in the first operation of its kind in Victoria.

Senior police say the targets are the “worst of the worst” with some facing attempted murder charges and all actively avoiding police, including by blackmailing victim-survivors to keep quiet.

Serious offenders hiding interstate will also be brought to justice as part of Operation Enforceable, which kicks off on Wednesday.

Family Violence Command Acting Superintendent Holly Dalrymple warned perpetrators their reign of violence and intimidation was up.

“Closed doors will not protect you from being targeted and held to account – and this operation shows just how serious we are,” Superintendent Dalrymple said.

Acting Superintendent Holly Dalrymple will lead multiple police teams as part of Operation Enforceable to take down Victoria's most elusive domestic abusers. Picture: Ian Currie

The six-day crackdown aims to capture about 3100 of the state’s highly elusive family violence perpetrators.

Of the offenders, more than 1100 have outstanding warrants, more than 750 have refused to disclose their whereabouts to police and more than 640 are the subject of unserved family violence intervention orders (IVOs).

A further 500 have refused to comply with bail conditions or submit to DNA orders and fingerprint identification.

The targets include a 35-year-old man with six warrants for stalking and ongoing breaches of family violence IVOs related to three victims and a 57-year-old man with four warrants for ongoing breaches of a family violence IVO, technology-facilitated abuse via texts and phone calls and unlawful assault.

Family Violence Command Inspector Steve McRae says some perpetrators blackmail victim-survivors or use friends to keep them in hiding, while committing multiple offences.

A 26-year-old man with six warrants for aggravated assault of a victim, contravening a family violence IVO, unlicensed dangerous driving and failing to attend court is also wanted in addition to a 34-year-old man with five warrants for persistent contravention of a family violence IVO, intentionally damaging property, contravening a community corrections order and threats to inflict serious injury.

Family Violence Command Inspector Steve McRae said the vast majority of offenders are wanted for violence against women and children and have gone to great lengths to avoid apprehension.

“They are the worst of the worst. Some blackmail victim-survivors or use friends to keep them in hiding all the while committing multiple offences and harming the community,” he said.

Inspector McRae said some are in possession of illegal firearms or wanted on attempted murder charges.

“We will be finding them wherever they are … homes, businesses and other community locations. We will leave no stone unturned,” he said.

The operation will be led by Family Violence Investigation Units and the Family Violence Taskforce with support from the Public Order Response Team, VIPER Taskforce, Intelligence and Covert Support Command Targeting Teams and frontline officers.

It will target the Western police region on Wednesday and the North West Metro region on Thursday and Friday.

The operation will move to the Southern Metro region on October 16 and 17 and Eastern region on October 18.

Superintendent Dalrymple said: “We want victim-survivors to know they can trust police to take action to make sure this violence stops”.