Children’s commissioner backs call for harsher penalties for DV thugs

Colleen Gwynne has backed a call to toughen penalties for DV abusers who bash their partners while their children watch on.

Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne says domestic violence perpetrators who bash their partners while children watch on should face stiffer penalties.

NT CHILDREN’S Commissioner Colleen Gwynne has backed a call to toughen penalties for domestic abusers who bash their partners while their children watch on.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Geary raised the issue in the Supreme Court last month after a man pleaded guilty to kicking in his ex-partner’s door and assaulting her while their three young children were in the next room.

MASSEUR sexually assaulted young policeman while he slept: court

Mr Geary described the fact the presence of children in domestic violence assaults was not a formal aggravating factor as an “omission” in the legislation.

“I know the court always considers it an aggravating feature that violence occurs in front of children,” he said.

“But it really is an omission of the Criminal Code that there’s nothing in there that formally is an aggravation that violence in front of children causes enormous damage.”

Ms Gwynne issued a statement after the NT News reported Mr Geary’s comments at the weekend, backing his position

“The Children’s Commissioner stands in agreement with Crown prosecutor Stephen Geary in calling for the need to better consider the impact that family violence has on children and young people here in the NT,” she said.

“The (World Health Organisation) states that it is critically important for the future development of children and young people to be growing up within an environment that is free from violence and abuse.

“Apart from the emotional, physical, social and behavioural damage abuse creates for children, statistics show that domestic violence can also become a learned behaviour.”

DARWIN fisho threatened boaties with knife, attacked police: court

Ms Gwynne’s comments echoed Mr Geary’s concerns about the ongoing impact of family violence on the innocent children who are forced to witness it.

“It affects their lives, it teaches them how their parents resolve conflict, it causes not just trauma at the time but it causes learnt behaviour,” he said.

“These children go on as adults, when they inevitably have issues with partners and those sorts of events they resolve it with violence.”

CHEAPER than a cup of coffee*: YOUR NT News subscription delivers much, much more than you expect

Acting Attorney-General, Gerry McCarthy, last week referred the issue to the Justice Department for consideration in Minster Natasha Fyles’s absence.

“The care and protection of children is at the forefront of the Territory Labor Government’s major legislative reform towards positive generational change,” he said.

“As Acting Attorney-General, I have referred Mr Geary’s comments to the Department of Attorney-General and Justice for their advice.

“As a Labor Government member, I look forward to every opportunity to improve the care and wellbeing of Territory children.”

*For help call 1800 RESPECT and in an emergency, call triple-0.