Girls as young as 12 denied sexual violence support

Queensland Sexual Assault Network executive officer Angela Lynch said that while sexual assaults were rising, funding for services hadn’t increased in 27 years.

Angela Lynch from the Queensland Sexual Assault Network says girls as young as 12 are on wait list for support. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Girls as young as 12 are on wait lists for sexual assault support amid a chronic national shortage of services, with demands for the issue to be a priority at this week’s national cabinet meeting on violence against women.

Queensland Sexual Assault Network executive officer Angela Lynch said that while sexual assaults were rising, funding for services had not increased significantly in 27 years.

“We have 12 year-olds on wait lists to get counselling. When our governments across Australia talk about `what are the priorities’, these are the priorities,” Ms Lynch said.

“It can’t be just family violence. You have to talk about sexual violence. (Murder victim) Molly Ticehurst’s ex partner was up on rape charges. The interlinking of these issues couldn’t be clearer.”

Ticehurst, a 28-year-old mother from Forbes in regional NSW, was allegedly murdered by her former partner, Daniel Billings, while he was on bail for rape and stalking charges against her.

Molly Ticehurst was found dead at a home in Forbes on Monday morning. Picture: Supplied / Facebook

National protests held on the weekend called for urgent action over men’s violence against women.

Extra money announced by Queensland premier Steven Miles this week for domestic and sexual violence services was only for 12 months and likely would not cover crucial prevention and recovery work, Ms Lynch said.

Mr Miles asked the commonwealth to make a matching $36m contribution.

Ms Lynch said prevention and education had been neglected due to overwhelming demands on frontline workers responding to sexual violence.

“Sexual violence services across the country are critically underfunded,” she said.

Police Federation of Australia president Ian Leavers said there was a desperate need for improved information sharing across borders on domestic violence offenders.

“Police across Australia have aspirations to keep the victims of domestic and family violence safe at all times, unfortunately it’s often police in the middle of highly volatile and confronting situations attempting to intervene,” Mr Leavers said.

“Evidence is there that in these highly charged emotional issues not every person involved is honest when asked by officers about restraining orders, custody matters and protections directed by the courts.

“That’s why it’s imperative that a national database is available to every frontline police officer in the country to immediately act on court orders in place. It also allows police to protect victims that may have relocated across state borders to separate from an offender.”

Police Federation of Australia president Ian Leavers. Picture: Liam Kidston

Since 2017, domestic violence orders in each state apply in the rest of the country, “however not every state has shared their data in a format that first response police can access rapidly”, Mr Leavers said.

“Sometimes the system simply says there’s an order in place but without any detail. We need to know all the information and interactions that have taken place so we can make an evidence-based decision for the protection of a DFV victim,” he said.

“This type of information would dramatically assist in assigning priority codes for police to attend as well as assessing the safety of a victim or protecting children affected by Family Court orders.”

Police struggled to keep up with repeated modification of domestic and family violence legislation in their own states, let alone other states, he said.

“My concern is that while an officer is trying to interpret another state’s jargon, the time delay could cost a life. The system needs to deliver easy to understand common language that officers on their way to a call for help can access, understand and make a rapid risk assessment.

“This should be a high priority issue for the national cabinet. Sunday’s national day of action is confirmation community sentiment is demanding change.”

Police Association of NSW president Kevin Morton said: “Police need to be supported by the judicial system in protecting victims of domestic violence.

“Tighter bail conditions for repeated violent offenders and the decision-making processes of magistrates and registrars who are releasing them despite the evidence police are placing before them need to be closely scrutinised.”

Nadia Bromley from the Women’s Legal Service. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“This review should be widened to examine the entire court system, along with the support systems in place for victims of domestic violence.”

Women’s Legal Service Queensland chief executive Nadia Bromley said she hoped to “see much more than words this week”.

“Services, front line workers, and the Australian public in general, have had enough of the horrific rates of violence against women,” Ms Bromley said.

“While we are encouraged by the federal meeting, we are keen to see real and tangible actions and commitments from government.

“Plans and reviews provide important frameworks for action, but the things that make a real difference in people’s lives aren’t words.

“People’s lives are kept safe through investment, spending on education, behavioural change, law reform, refuges, and holistic support for victim survivors.”