‘Can’t have another Molly’: NSW says ‘all options’ are on the table on domestic violence

The Minns government is seriously considering following Victoria and South Australia in launching a state royal commission into domestic, family and sexual violence following the alleged murder of 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst, with Acting Premier Prue Car saying “all options” are on the table.

On Wednesday, the government announced the launch of a new coercive control education campaign surrounded by advocates, including NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin and the chair of Domestic Violence NSW Annabelle Daniele.

Acting Premier Prue Car said the state government was leaving all options on the table in tackling domestic violence. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The launch was boycotted by both the Coalition and Greens MP Abigail Boyd, the latter over her concern that the legislation underpinning the campaign will be ineffective.

While defending the new coercive control laws – which come into effect in July – Car was quick to acknowledge it was “definitely not the silver bullet” and that the government would announce a series of further measures following an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday.

Part of that response may include a royal commission into the issue. The acting premier – who is standing in for Premier Chris Minns after his father died on Wednesday – told media that the government was “keeping everything on the table” ahead of Friday’s meeting.

“The premier has made it very clear that we will be looking at every option,” she said.

Molly Ticehurst’s alleged murderer, Daniel Billings, was released on bail just weeks ago after being accused of sexually assaulting her.

“On Friday [the] ministers will have a hopefully very fruitful conversation about what we can do, what levers we can pull as a state government. Everything is on the table.”

Car, who attended Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting, said she had received a briefing on the Victorian government’s own royal commission into family violence. She said there were “multiple ways that those issues can definitely be explored”.

“We need to look at all the ways possible for a state government to make serious differences and inroads on the set of complexities that contribute to this issue,” she said.

Carr welcomed the Albanese government’s announcement following Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that it will seek to counter extremist views about women online by moving to ban deepfake pornography and funding a pilot of technology to limit children’s access to pornography.

NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd boycotted the launch of a new coercive control education campaign on Wednesday.Credit: Peter Rae

“A lot of the education about what is acceptable in terms of the treatment of women does start with what is being directed through technology at some of our young boys and young men,” she said.

“That results, in many cases, in harm to women. Young boys and young men are being targeted online with many disturbing examples of disturbing behaviour.”

But she acknowledged many of the “levers” to address violence – including law enforcement – rest with the states.

Announcing the new coercive control education campaign amid a national debate about women’s safety, Car said she was “so sick” of hearing about allegations of violence against women.

“We just cannot have another Molly Ticehurst in this state,” she said.

“I think every woman in NSW, me included, is so sick of hearing of and bracing yourself for what the news might have to say that day about a woman who may have died at the hands of someone who has purported to love her.”

The new coercive control legislation was passed by the former Coalition government with Labor’s support in 2022. Some advocates criticised it at the time because, in part, they feared it set too high a bar for conviction by requiring prosecutors to prove that an accused intended to coerce and control rather than merely be reckless in their conduct.

Others, however, argued that a lower bar would open the door for “misidentification”; i.e. a victim being incorrectly charged as an aggressor.

Attorney-General Michael Daley said he would be closely reviewing the effectiveness of the legislation.

“I’ll be liaising closely with police prosecutors and the DPP to monitor their preparation of briefs and to pay particular attention to the briefs that don’t proceed,” he said.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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