Safe at home

In May 2004 the Tasmanian Government launched Safe At Home, an integrated pro-arrest, pro-charge, pre-prosecution response to family violence. The need for a new response to family violence in Tasmania was driven by a number of factors:

• Seven (7) women were murdered in domestic violence incidents in the period 2000-2003, the latest being on 4 December 2003.
• The number of incidents of domestic violence reported was shown to be increasing and support services were stretched beyond their capacity.
• Tasmania could no longer afford the economic or social costs of family violence. Research by KPMG in 1994 showed that domestic violence cost Tasmania about $18 million per year. The intergenerational and opportunity costs (in the form of ill health, increased criminal behaviour etc) to the members of families in which such violence occurs were also noted as significant and ongoing
• Tasmania Together (a consultative process between the government and the community to determine policy goals) identified a reduction in the reported level of family violence as a key indicator in the achievement of the goal to ‘Have a community where people feel safe and are safe in all aspects of their lives’. National and international research shows that the first step in reducing family violence is to increase the accessibility and responsiveness of the justice system in providing protection to the victims of family violence. The second step is to provide them with information about their rights and enhance their capacity to use the justice system to seek protection from and deal with the offender.
• Tasmania has been an active participant in the National Partnerships Against Domestic Violence program. As a result there was access to a national pool of evidence of ‘what works’ to make victims safer and reduce the incidence of family violence in the community.

A pro-arrest policy means that violent behaviour towards a person in their home by a member of the household is considered no less of an offence than violent behaviour towards another person in the community. The pro-arrest approach sends a clear message to the community that any violent act against another person is unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour irrespective of any relationship between the victim and the offender. The policy involved the development of new legislation, as well as the introduction of new services and work practices with respect to family violence in the departments of Health and Human Services, Police and Justice.

The new legislative provisions include:

• a broad definition of family violence including economic abuse and emotional abuse and intimidation;
• mandatory reporting of family violence;
• the introduction of Family Violence Orders (issued by a Court) and Police Family Violence Orders (issued by police);
• increased police powers to enable the implementation of a pro-prosecution policy;
• significant penalties for breaches of Family Violence Orders;
• provisions for the exclusion of the perpetrator from the family home, including the ability to vary a lease agreement to remove the name of the perpetrator;
• the addition of sentencing options that require an offender to attend a perpetrator programme;
• recognition of children who live with violence as victims in their own right; and
• specific provisions for the protection of children experiencing family violence.

The new services developed under Safe At Home include dedicated police teams known as the Victim Safety Response Team (VSRT) and a 24/7 Family Violence phone line which links the victim to the VSRTs and counselling services. Typically victims are often required to move out of their home to seek safety and avoid further contact with the offender however the current aim is to help the victim to remain in the family home. The proposed arrangement should reduce the demand for emergency accommodation for women and children escaping violent households. The victim will work with Police to arrange appropriate safety plans to assist them to reduce any ongoing safety issues which will include improved security in their home and increased Police patrols.

Other new services include counselling programmes provided to assist each victim re-establish their life, support for children from households affected by family violence and court support to assist victims and children through the court process. Additional services are also provided to deter offenders from re-offending through an offender programme for those assessed as being most likely to benefit.

HMA has been involved in designing the family violence offender programme and training Tasmanian workers. In September 2007 we trained nine probation officers to run the Safe at Home Offender Intervention programme.