By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE co-ordinating solicitor for the Casey Cardinia Community Legal Service has backed the State Opposition’s push for a royal commission into family violence.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews on Saturday announced that the royal commission would begin early next year if Labor were successful in the November poll.
Casey Cardinia Community Legal Service principal solicitor Vera Hardiman said she would fully support a royal commission into family violence.
“Let’s face it; nothing else seems to be working. The figures surrounding family violence-related deaths in this country are horrifying,” she said.
“Royal commissions provide such a wonderful opportunity to explore every facet of an issue. Family violence has complex causes and has such a devastating effect on the community, we need to find more effective ways to prevent it.
“A royal commission will give us an opportunity not only to investigate effective prevention but also look into appropriate handling of family violence matters, including sentencing of those people who breach intervention orders.”
There were 1503 recorded family violence incidents across Casey in 2012-13, with children present for 1149 of them.
And while Ms Hardiman acknowledged a royal commission was an “expensive and lengthy process”, she insisted that the potential benefits outweighed the cost.
“I think a royal commission would validate the experiences of those affected by family violence and affirm the importance of the issues involved. I believe it will be welcomed by the local community,” she said.
“A royal commission is, of course, always an expensive and lengthy process, but nonetheless, if it can improve procedures, processes and outcomes and if it can more accurately identify ways to prevent it, then it will be worthwhile.”
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera said family violence was as much a local emergency in Casey as it was a national issue.
“Family violence hurts our whole community – police, courts, workplaces, schools, and sadly, our homes and our children,” he said.
“The current system doesn’t protect the vulnerable or punish the guilty. This is proven in the City of Casey as unfortunately the City of Casey area is the highest for family violence assaults in the state.
“We must do more and only a royal commission will give the experts a voice and find the answers we need.”
Crime Prevention Minister Edward O’Donohue said Labor’s royal commission announcement was a commitment to spend potentially “tens of millions of dollars on high paid lawyers” to investigate family violence, and tell us “answers to questions we already know.”
“The Napthine Government is investing more than $95 million a year to change community attitudes, to expand family violence prevention initiatives, to support women and children who experience violence and to hold perpetrators to account,” he said.
“This investment represents a 30 per cent increase on previous Labor Government allocations.”
Mr O’Donohue said the government had also included in this month’s State Budget an additional $22.7 million over four years to continue to reform the approach and response to violence against women and children.
