New laws for victims

By Bridget Cook
THE State Government has introduced new laws to help provide more protection for victims of harassment, bullying and assault.
Narre Warren North Labor MP Luke Donnellan says it is an important piece of legislation that better protects people in the community who have been subject to harassment and bullying, including cyber bullying.
The Personal Safety Intervention Orders Bill expands the grounds on which a person may apply for an order to include harassment, assault, sexual assault, repeated property damage or interference, stalking and making a serious threat.
Mr Donnellan said the laws gave people better protection and better processes for particular circumstances.
“The expansion of intervention orders sends a clear message that this type of behaviour is not acceptable in our community, and victims of such behaviour have a right to feel safe,” he said.
The new laws also protect victims of one-off assaults and provide more supportive processes in court, such as the ability to give evidence from a remote location.
They aim at handling lower-level disputes more effectively as for the first time magistrates have been given power to direct parties to attend mediation.
“There has been an increase in intervention orders taken out regarding bullying and neighbourhood disputes,” Mr Donnellan said.
“There is now the option that these issues can be taken to the Magistrates’ Court for mediation through the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.”