Why more than dozen family violence incidents are reported every hour over Easter

Victoria’s biggest family violence scourge on record is expected to spike over Easter, with police responding to one incident every five minutes last year.

Victoria’s biggest family violence scourge on record is expected to spike over Easter, with police responding to more than a dozen incidents every hour last year.

Between Good Friday and Easter Monday, police recorded 1247 separate incidents - more than 300 a day - an average of one incident every five minutes.

The latest crime data showed that there were 317 incidents on Easter Sunday alone.

Recorded incidents jumped by 15 per cent compared to 2023, when there were 1080 domestic violence reports.

The worrying uptick comes as the state late last year recorded more than 100,000 family violence incidents in a single year for the first time, a grim milestone the Crime Statistics Agency said was largely driven by violent assaults against women and serious injury threats.

Rachel McKenna was believed to have been killed by her former partner in February. Picture: Facebook

Jessie Tumaliuan allegedly killed his estranged wife, 42-year-old Czarina Gatbonton Tumaliuan in Werribee. Picture: Facebook.

Police say added pressures that come with seeing extended family, especially those who do not see each other often, were some of the main drivers of the violent spike.

“Easter is a time for families to come together. But sadly, it’s also a time when family violence incidents spike as perpetrators use this time to control and harm others,” Family Violence Command Acting Superintendent Dagmar Andersen said.

Ms Andersen said officers would be ramping up proactive checks of violent perpetrators over the long weekend.

“That includes defying court-imposed orders to contact victims, be it in-person or using

technology,” she said.

“Everyone has a right to go about their lives in safety.

“That’s why police will be out working tirelessly to track down perpetrators and

responding to family violence incidents as a priority right across Easter.”

Family violence rose 9.5 per cent last year, when there were 102,082 incidents recorded across the state.

Police are warning Victorians about a potential rise in family violence incidents over Easter. Picture: Jason Edwards

Regional areas would likely be of major concern to police over the break, with the highest family violence rates in the state recorded across East Gippsland, Horsham, Latrobe and Mildura.

Suburbs in Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Casey and Brimbank recorded the highest rates out of every metropolitan area.

The warning from police comes after mother of four Czarina Gatbonton Tumaliuan, 42, was allegedly stabbed to death by her estranged husband, 41-year-old Jessie Tumaliuan, late last month.

In February, Rachel McKenna’s former partner murdered her in Ascot Vale before he died from injuries after being discovered on the Princes Freeway at Little River.

Police data showed that Easter usually saw the largest increases in family violence incidents after the Christmas and New Year period.

“If you or if you know a loved one or friend is experiencing family violence please don’t

ignore it and contact police,” Acting Superintendent Andersen said.

“Together we can make a difference and stop family violence.”

Safe Steps - 1800 015 188

No to Violence Men’s Referral Service - 1300 766 491

Originally published as Why more than dozen family violence incidents are reported every hour over Easter