Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For many Australians, there is no place like home. Our homes provide us with security, relaxation and personal comfort. For some Australian women however home is a place of pain, humiliation and, in the worst of circumstances, death. Domestic violence continues to be a serious problem in Australia. Seventy-six women on average are killed each year by either a current or a former partner. The economic cost to the country is estimated at around $13 billion a year. But there is a much greater loss to our society, in particular the devastating physical and emotional cost to individuals, families and communities.

There is no doubt that acts of domestic violence can leave women with their lives ruined and destroyed. But there is something governments can do. The 2009 Canadian Conference on the Prevention of Domestic Homicide referred to domestic violence deaths as the most predictable unpreventable homicides. Each domestic violence death is preventable because they are the result of extremely predictable patterns of escalated behaviour within a relationship. The victims are often women who are known to police, courts and community groups. These women and their children have often passed through healthcare providers and women's shelters, have called our police and have been assessed by our social services. In many circumstances these victims reached out for help. Their deaths are not unpredictable nor are they unforeseeable. This is why we must act.

A significant and crucial insight can be gained by reviewing the surrounding circumstances of a domestic violence death. Review processes allow us to develop informed and effective prevention strategies and identify gaps in existing systems. Risk factors include prior physical abuse, repeated separations, access to firearms, stalking, choking or strangulation, frequency of violence as well as threats of violence.

Many states and territories have already introduced domestic violence death reviews, which allow for systemic and systematic forensic analysis of domestic violence deaths. At present, our state of Tasmania lacks such a system. This means that domestic violence related deaths are treated in the same manner as any other homicide through the coronial division of the Magistrates Court. Unfortunately, these inquests fall short because they are merely an inquiry to determine the victim's identity, the date and place of death and the manner in which the death occurred. In contrast, domestic violence death reviews take an in-depth look at the incident which led to the death. They also identify common patterns and trends among multiple domestic violence deaths. These reviews can also receive unrestricted input from community groups, women's shelters, government agencies, medical specialists and other family members who can shed light on the circumstances of the relationship and the experiences of the victim.

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting with University of South Australia senior lecturer Elspeth McInnes, representing the National Domestic Violence Death Review Advocacy Group at the unveiling of the National Remembrance Quilt. Elspeth had travelled to Canberra to represent the group WEAVE—Women Everywhere Against Violence Everywhere—in the hope of encouraging each state in Australia to establish a domestic violence death review process. Elspeth kindly agreed to travel to Launceston in December to facilitate a round table discussion on the issue.

This initial forum included stakeholders from Tasmanian agencies and groups, including the police, the Magistrates Court and the Commissioner for Children. Women's shelters and support groups and services such as the women's legal service, the Yemaya Women's Support Service and the Hobart Women's Health Centre also took part. On the government's side were representatives from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, along with representatives from the office of the Hon. Julie Collins MP, the federal Minister for the Status of Women.

The Tasmanian forum was a success and my office remains in regular contact with the attendees to monitor the progress of the issue. A death review process ensures that a broader perspective can be gained by assessing both the culture and the context of domestic violence deaths. This can reduce the incidence of domestic violence deaths by informing improvements to our systems and services. For far too many victims, domestic violence is deadly. We should never accept that these deaths are inevitable or unpredictable. As representatives in this place, we must commit to supporting policy which gives both— (Time expired.)