With family violence a growing concern across Australia, the Labor government has promised to deliver a $23.9 million investment in a bid to overhaul the way the justice system responds to the issue.
The announcement was made as part of the family violence package in the 2016/17 Victorian Budget, and comes after the release of a report by the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
“The Andrews Labor government is overhauling how we respond to family violence, putting victims first and ensuring perpetrators are rightly held to account,” said Attorney General Martin Pakula.
“Extra support for victims and greater resources for courts will change the way the justice system deals with family violence.”
As part of the pitch, Labor says the funding will help to expand legal assistance, and give agencies the resources they need to address issues and begin reforming the system from the ground up.
Part of the funding will be allocated to specialist family violence responses specifically for culturally and linguistically diverse victims and perpetrators in the corrections system, while the bulk of the money will be put towards reviewing and expanding men’s behaviourial change programs.
Under the budget, police will also gain access to greater resources to be able to promptly respond to family violence; Victoria’s police force will soon undergo a trial with body-worn cameras.