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| Family violence victims can't always trust those meant to protect them, inquiry told | Family violence victims can't always trust those meant to protect them, inquiry told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Victims of family violence cannot trust that courts, police and crisis services will be able to protect them, the chief executive of Good Shepherd youth and family service, Rhonda Cumberland, has told the royal commission. | Victims of family violence cannot trust that courts, police and crisis services will be able to protect them, the chief executive of Good Shepherd youth and family service, Rhonda Cumberland, has told the royal commission. |
| Cumberland was the first to give evidence as the commission’s public hearings began on Monday, drawing on her experience as a former director of the women’s domestic violence crisis service and her work with the Victorian government’s family violence reform unit. | Cumberland was the first to give evidence as the commission’s public hearings began on Monday, drawing on her experience as a former director of the women’s domestic violence crisis service and her work with the Victorian government’s family violence reform unit. |
| “I don’t think we expect the family violence service system to be perfect, but we do expect it to be a system we can trust,” Cumberland said. | “I don’t think we expect the family violence service system to be perfect, but we do expect it to be a system we can trust,” Cumberland said. |
| “Right now, the trust is not there for it to do its job. So I would ask the commission to think about that … trust is essential.” | “Right now, the trust is not there for it to do its job. So I would ask the commission to think about that … trust is essential.” |
| Related: Royal commission into family violence opens with minute's silence for victims | Related: Royal commission into family violence opens with minute's silence for victims |
| Cumberland urged the commission to assess whether it was the risk-assessment models and responses from various sectors of the family violence system that were flawed, or whether the systems were good but “so grossly underfunded, they fall over”. | Cumberland urged the commission to assess whether it was the risk-assessment models and responses from various sectors of the family violence system that were flawed, or whether the systems were good but “so grossly underfunded, they fall over”. |
| While the system had improved significantly in the past 15 years, particularly the response from police, they had started “from a very low base”, Cumberland said. | While the system had improved significantly in the past 15 years, particularly the response from police, they had started “from a very low base”, Cumberland said. |
| In her evidence, the assistant commissioner of Victoria police, Wendy Steendam, told the commission only two people worked on family violence policy and training for Victoria police before 2001. | In her evidence, the assistant commissioner of Victoria police, Wendy Steendam, told the commission only two people worked on family violence policy and training for Victoria police before 2001. |
| Steendam said it was the former chief commissioner, Christine Nixon, who made family violence a priority by launching Victoria police’s code of practice for the investigation of family violence in 2004. | Steendam said it was the former chief commissioner, Christine Nixon, who made family violence a priority by launching Victoria police’s code of practice for the investigation of family violence in 2004. |
| Related: The family violence royal commission must tackle these four issues to succeed | Related: The family violence royal commission must tackle these four issues to succeed |
| It was now accepted that family violence was a pervasive problem within Victoria and also nationally, Cumberland said. But despite this, it often wasn’t a funding priority for governments. | It was now accepted that family violence was a pervasive problem within Victoria and also nationally, Cumberland said. But despite this, it often wasn’t a funding priority for governments. |
| “We can’t keep treating a mainstream problem in the margins,” she said. “We have to build institutions and responses that take into account how central it is to our communities.” | “We can’t keep treating a mainstream problem in the margins,” she said. “We have to build institutions and responses that take into account how central it is to our communities.” |
| Cumberland said she was amazed the family violence system was still standing despite the resourcing pressures it faced. The commission heard that in the past decade, family violence reports had increased by 136% in Victoria. It was impossible for police to refer all these cases to crisis services, the commission heard. | Cumberland said she was amazed the family violence system was still standing despite the resourcing pressures it faced. The commission heard that in the past decade, family violence reports had increased by 136% in Victoria. It was impossible for police to refer all these cases to crisis services, the commission heard. |
| This problem of resourcing was exacerbated by a cultural hostility towards victims, Cumberland said, with many people blaming them for not leaving. | This problem of resourcing was exacerbated by a cultural hostility towards victims, Cumberland said, with many people blaming them for not leaving. |
| Counsel assisting, Joanna Davidson, described to the head commissioner, Justice Marcia Neave, the findings obtained from more than 1,000 written submissions and 43 consultation sessions held across the state by the commission before the public hearings. | Counsel assisting, Joanna Davidson, described to the head commissioner, Justice Marcia Neave, the findings obtained from more than 1,000 written submissions and 43 consultation sessions held across the state by the commission before the public hearings. |
| Despite the numerous barriers to leaving a violent relationship, the most recent survey of community attitudes towards violence found a high percentage of Australians still found it hard to understand why victims did not leave, she said. | Despite the numerous barriers to leaving a violent relationship, the most recent survey of community attitudes towards violence found a high percentage of Australians still found it hard to understand why victims did not leave, she said. |
| “The separation period is often when physical violence starts,” Davidson said. | “The separation period is often when physical violence starts,” Davidson said. |
| “One study found 40% of men who killed their partner were motivated by their partner leaving the relationship or by jealousy. Many victims cannot leave: children being victimised by their parents; disabled people who may have no easy way of leaving without intervention from others. Some are terrified their children will be killed or seriously injured if they try to leave. For those victims, there is no easy departure. | “One study found 40% of men who killed their partner were motivated by their partner leaving the relationship or by jealousy. Many victims cannot leave: children being victimised by their parents; disabled people who may have no easy way of leaving without intervention from others. Some are terrified their children will be killed or seriously injured if they try to leave. For those victims, there is no easy departure. |
| Related: Domestic violence: five women tell their stories of leaving - the most dangerous time | Related: Domestic violence: five women tell their stories of leaving - the most dangerous time |
| “The continuing level of community disbelief at the number of women who stay in such relationships suggest there is much work to educate the public about the terrible dynamic of family violence.” | “The continuing level of community disbelief at the number of women who stay in such relationships suggest there is much work to educate the public about the terrible dynamic of family violence.” |
| Financial insecurity, a risk of being left homeless, disruption to the lives of children involved, and language and cultural barriers were other deterrents to leaving, the commission heard. | Financial insecurity, a risk of being left homeless, disruption to the lives of children involved, and language and cultural barriers were other deterrents to leaving, the commission heard. |
| Violence often escalated so gradually, Davidson said, that victims were powerless by the time they recognised the severity of the problem. | Violence often escalated so gradually, Davidson said, that victims were powerless by the time they recognised the severity of the problem. |
| The final witness for the day was a woman identified under the pseudonym of Susan Jones, who through her powerful personal story highlighted the impact of systemic failures on her and her children. | The final witness for the day was a woman identified under the pseudonym of Susan Jones, who through her powerful personal story highlighted the impact of systemic failures on her and her children. |
| Many of the issues discussed by commissioners and witnesses earlier in the day – a lack of crisis services, a failure to share information between services such as police and courts, and the inability of health professionals and police to properly assess risk and offer help – were central to her experience. | Many of the issues discussed by commissioners and witnesses earlier in the day – a lack of crisis services, a failure to share information between services such as police and courts, and the inability of health professionals and police to properly assess risk and offer help – were central to her experience. |
| Jones told the commission how she tried to protect herself and her four children from her violent then-husband, who raped her and resented her pregnancies. | Jones told the commission how she tried to protect herself and her four children from her violent then-husband, who raped her and resented her pregnancies. |
| She broke down as she told the commissioners how one crisis shelter told her that if she wanted to stay there, she could only bring two of her four children with her. | She broke down as she told the commissioners how one crisis shelter told her that if she wanted to stay there, she could only bring two of her four children with her. |
| “I was on the phone looking at my children,” she said. “Which two? They didn’t have anyone else.” A real-estate agent placed her house application to the bottom of the pile, she said, telling her it was because she was a single mother. | “I was on the phone looking at my children,” she said. “Which two? They didn’t have anyone else.” A real-estate agent placed her house application to the bottom of the pile, she said, telling her it was because she was a single mother. |
| While her husband was now in jail, Jones said she fought for years to be safe, forced to navigate the legal system largely on her own. Women’s refuges failed to provide her with alternative options if they were full. No one explained how to seek an intervention order and she was left filling out forms alone. | |
| People in positions of authority, including police and medical practitioners, made her feel she was wasting their time, she said. | People in positions of authority, including police and medical practitioners, made her feel she was wasting their time, she said. |
| The royal commission was ordered by the premier, Daniel Andrews, shortly after his election in November. Over the next month, during public hearings, experts will give evidence of the challenges they face responding to and preventing family violence. | The royal commission was ordered by the premier, Daniel Andrews, shortly after his election in November. Over the next month, during public hearings, experts will give evidence of the challenges they face responding to and preventing family violence. |
| The evidence will help inform a set of recommendations due to be handed to government by the commission before the end of the year. | The evidence will help inform a set of recommendations due to be handed to government by the commission before the end of the year. |
| The National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling help line can be reached at 1800 737 732 | The National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling help line can be reached at 1800 737 732 |
| The Men’s Referral Service provides anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to men to help them take action to stop using violent and controlling behaviour: 1300 766 491 | The Men’s Referral Service provides anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to men to help them take action to stop using violent and controlling behaviour: 1300 766 491 |
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