Women’s Legal Service Queensland is urging decision-makers to remove the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility and has developed an online petition: “Put kids safety first in family law”. This move is in response to Federal Labor MP Graham Perrett’s introduction of a private member’s bill to Parliament aimed at removing what he describes…
A new Federal parliamentary inquiry into family violence will give victim survivors the opportunity to have their voices heard. The inquiry will include a focus on the experiences of women from diverse communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, women on temporary visas, and women with disabilities. The announcement followed the recent Senate inquiry into…
Hala Abdelnour, a family violence practitioner with specialist knowledge on working with male perpetrators and culturally diverse communities, is running a series of consultation sessions with CALD / ethno-specific and family violence services working with CALD perpetrators of family violence to identify gaps in service delivery and support required. The project seeks to identify: How…
The Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (FVRIM) is calling for submissions from both organisations delivering family violence services and individual practitioners. These submissions will inform the FVRIM report to the Victorian Parliament on the progress of the family violence reforms. The FVRIM wants to hear from practitioners and organisations about: How the family violence service…
Project Respect has launched a campaign to address the issues faced by women on temporary visas, and their children, who are experiencing family violence. They are making the following demands: Expand eligibility for relevant social security payments. Expand the eligibility of housing support services to provide equal access without any visa status restrictions to…
Respect Victoria have relaunched a prevention of elder abuse campaign, Respect Older People: ‘Call It Out.’ As a result of restrictions during COVID-19, Respect Victoria has raised concerns about older people being increasingly isolated and more dependent on family members, which may lead to an increase of elder abuse, with women and those with disabilities being…
Family Safety Victoria has a new CEO Eleri Butler, who previously worked as the CEO of Welsh Women’s Aid, a national peak body working to prevent domestic and sexual abuse and deliver national Helpline support for survivors of abuse. She has more than three decades of experience working in the specialist sector, public services and…
Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) online applications are now available at all courts in the northern metropolitan region. Melbourne Magistrates’ Court is the latest to join Heidelberg and Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Courts and the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in providing this option. Affected Family Members (AFMs) can apply for an FVIO at www.fvio.mcv.vic.gov.au. Other courts across the…
Good Samaritan Inn, a short-term accommodation service for women and children escaping family violence, is undertaking a series of upgrades to enhance accessibility and security. The service will be closed for 4-6 weeks in July and August and will be unable to take new referrals during this period. (Email from Felicity Rorke, Good Samaritan Inn,…
On 27 May, the Victorian-Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) report on the audit of the Support and Safety Hubs (The Orange Door) was tabled in Parliament. The report found that: Gaps in data, reporting and performance management mean that it can’t be easily demonstrated that The Orange Door is leading to better outcomes for victim…
