Tania Maxwell MP, Hume Riverina Community Legal Service and the Centre Against Violence have won broad support from community, family and legal advocacy organisations to define the need for a Specialist Family Violence Court and Legal Aid office in the North East at a roundtable in Wangaratta on September 20.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Member for Northern Victoria, HRCLS and Wangaratta-based CAV say demand is so strong for family law services across communities where 140,000 people live that many are turned away or have to wait long periods for appointments.
“There’s no specialist family violence court or Victorian Legal Aid office in the region to help victims of family violence,” Ms Maxwell said.
“HRCLS – the only free legal service in the North East – describes this as ‘a serious injustice’. More than 80 per cent of its clients experience or are at risk of family violence.
“CAV confirms that people in violent relationships are invariably overwhelmed, confronted and confused when they seek to navigate the legal system.
“Women who experience violence are 10 times more likely to face legal problems than others in the community.
“But the nearest specialist court which works to prioritise the safety of victims and hold perpetrators accountable is in Shepparton, as is the nearest Legal Aid office.
“That means you’re a long way from help when you’re living in a violent domestic relationship and don’t have the resources to get the support you need to protect your family and secure your safety.”
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data – released today – shows the number of family incidents exceeded the state average by 82.1pc in Benalla, in 52.3pc in Wodonga and 50.2pc in Wangaratta in the year to June 30.
Compared with an average 1373.5 family incidents per 100,000 people in Victoria for the period, police and other agencies recorded 2501 incidents in Benalla, 2063 in Wangaratta and 2092 in Wodonga.
Participants in Tuesday’s roundtable at Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre include:
- Albury Wodonga Centre for Women’s Health and Wellbeing
- Centre Against Violence
- Federation of Community Legal Centres
- Hume Riverina Community Legal Service
- Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation
- North East Law Association
- Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative – Aboriginal Community Justice Panel
- Albury Wodonga Health
- Benalla Health
- Gateway Health
Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees and Indigo mayor Bernard Gaffney have also indicated they’ll attend, together with someone who will speak about her experience of the legal proces.
HRCLS acting principal lawyer Ali Maher said the safety of victim survivors was paramount, particularly at a time of extreme vulnerability and stress.
“Supports provided with a Specialist Family Violence Court are vital for people who have experienced or who are experiencing family violence,” Ms Maher said.
“This includes significant support for victim survivors and also for perpetrators of violence including greater accountability measures which are not available through the current Magistrates’ Court structure.”
CAV chief executive Jaime Chubb said there had been a significant increase in family violence in the community in the past year, “especially high-risk situations”.
“The provision of a Specialist Family Violence Court and local Legal Aid service are vital pieces of a very large and challenging puzzle in our quest to tackle family violence in our community,” she said.
“We all acknowledge this is not a solution – but it is a very important part of both responding to and preventing violence in our homes. The service and powers that exist within these specialist courts will help services like our keep victim-survivors safe, and perpetrators in view and accountable.”
Ms Maxwell said Victoria’s royal commission into family violence made a priority call for victims and perpetrators in rural and regional communities to be given better access to support and services.
“But seven years later, when we’re seeing persistent incidents across our communities, there’s still no specialist family violence court or Victorian Legal Aid office in Wodonga or Wangaratta and no support services in local courts,” she said.
Ms Maxwell said she detailed the glaring gap in specialist family violence court and Legal Aid services in the North East when she met Attorney General Jaclyn Symes MP in Parliament on August 17, and invited her to join the roundtable, together with Family Violence Prevention Minister Ros Spence MP.
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