Source : Perth Now news
Charges for domestic violence-related offences in one Australian state have reached all-time highs.
Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research showed while rates of domestic violence assaults in the state were relatively stable, there was a sharp increase in people being charged.
The bureau’s executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said the ”remarkable” spike was in charges related to apprehended violence order breaches and intimidation offences.
The rate of domestic violence assaults recorded by police resulting in a charge being laid rose from 67 per cent to 73 per cent in the past two years.
”That’s a huge increase in the likelihood of being charged,” Ms Fitzgerald told AAP.
”We’ve never had a rate of legal actions for DV as high as we currently have.”
New technology available to police can detect intimidation actions committed over the phone, while an uptick in proactive police action around domestic violence has also likely driven the rate increase, she said.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the statistics showed NSW was a safer state because of the work of police.
”There is always more work to do, and the (government) will continue to back NSW Police with the resources, laws, and technology they need to keep going after people who break our laws,” she said.
But Ms Fitzgerald said experts did not yet know how effective this approach was in tackling long-term domestic violence.
“There’s a risk of re-victimisation close to when people come into contact with police, so there is a period of heightened threat for victims when they do report,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
The report also found a spike in charges over driving offences and drug possession.
Adults charged with driving offences – primarily for driving while disqualified or suspended – in the last two years increased by more than 15 per cent.
Drug possession charges saw a similar increase.
But Ms Fitzgerald said these spikes were also due to increased police detection, rather than an increase in offending.
”Adult court proceedings rose by 11.6 per cent in just two years, compared with average annual growth of 2.7 per cent over the past decade,” she said.
”The increase was widespread, with adult court proceedings rising across every metropolitan and regional area of NSW.”
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