Nicola Berkovic reports in the Australian on 21 August 2015 about a parlimentary committe’s report on tackling family violence:
The Prime Minister would make an annual report to parliament on domestic violence and funding for frontline services would be extended for multiple years under key changes recommended by a bipartisan parliamentary committee.
The report on tackling family violence in Australia, tabled last night after a year-long inquiry, said statistics to date this year showed two Australian women were killed by domestic violence each week — up from one a week five years ago.
Among the committee’s 25 recommendations was a call for the federal government to take leadership for ensuring effective police responses to domestic violence through the Council of Australian Governments, and to clearing the backlog of victims who could not access affordable housing.
It also called for the government to “investigate ways” to ensure victims were able to access proper leave arrangements to pursue legal help and for those in the family law system to receive better training.
The committee pointed to evidence that some consultants relied on by the courts “glossed over or missed” incidents of domestic violence.
