Social Development Committee: Domestic and Family Violence Inquiry

Adjourned debate on motion of Ms Cook:

That the 39^th report of the committee, entitled Domestic and Family Violence Inquiry Report, be noted.

(Continued from 13 April 2016.)

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (17:33): I return to where I left off the last time we were considering this report. I start by continuing to cite some of the facts about domestic violence. They are:

one in three women are now subject to violence at some time in their lives starting from the age of 15;

more than one women per week in Australia is killed as a result of domestic violence;

there is a spike in domestic violence perpetrated against women who are pregnant;

domestic violence has a profound effect on children who witness it, and in some cases it constitutes child abuse;

women are most at risk of violence in the home from men they know, and the most common location for physical assaults against women is in the home;

one-third of clients seeking specialist homelessness services have experienced domestic violence; and

it is now one of the leading causes of death in Australia for women under 45.

These statistics are worse if you are Aboriginal, if you are a young person or if you are affected by disability. These statistics are growing, they are deeply unacceptable and they are a call to action for all of us.

This call to action is even more pressing and important as we process the absolutely tragic deaths of Adeline Yvette Rigney-Wilson (known as Yvette) and her children, Corey (5) and Amber (6). Yet again, we mourn the death of a woman who was killed by her partner. Heartbreaking tributes continue to flow for these precious lives lost, including one as reported by The Advertiser, and I quote: 'I'm really sorry that you died…you always played with me. I was your friend,' said one note left by a young schoolmate of one of the children.

Sadly, some commentators have focused on unfounded allegations about Adeline's drug use at this tragic time. Amongst this commentary, however, Celeste Liddle, an Aboriginal activist and a national Indigenous organiser whom I admire, cut through and shone with her incredible article that I encourage you all to read. The article, entitled 'How victim blaming is heightened when sexism interacts with race', really sheds light on the human face of the statistics I mentioned earlier. I quote directly from Celeste's words:

Let's be absolutely clear here: Yvette and her children are not dead because she apparently took ice. They are not dead because her cupboards were bare. They are dead because a man, her partner, chose to kill them…Yvette deserved to live her life, yet she was denied this very basic human right due to the actions of her partner. She deserved better than this. Her children Amber and Corey deserved better than this. Their grieving family deserves better than this. Yet while we have a society which remains content with the perpetuation of victim blaming along with the demonisation of Aboriginal people, we will continue to see Aboriginal women who are murder victims treated in these kinds of ways.

I know I speak for all in this chamber when I say that I will not forget Adeline Yvette Rigney-Wilson and that her death and the deaths of her two children will not be in vain. It is crucial that we continue to build towards better outcomes for all victims of domestic violence.

I turn back to the report of the Social Development Committee, which arose through my motion to inquire into all aspects of domestic violence and the services and supports in place. The impetus for moving the original motion to establish this inquiry was partly personal. Months before I moved it, I had spoken in my inaugural speech in this house about my own childhood experiences of witnessing domestic violence and the impact that that has, and I note that the report explores this issue.

I remember that, before I spoke about this impact in that speech, I was deeply hesitant and embarrassed to do so. Nonetheless, I did, and I did so because I believe that we here in this place, as leaders, must speak up and out about domestic violence and, in doing so, encourage others to speak up. We must empower the voice of those who experience domestic violence for as long as it takes to end it.

For me, moving the motion to establish this inquiry and the production of this report was to give voice through the committee's deliberations to those who experience it and those who work day in and day out to prevent and end violence. No matter how uncomfortable it may be, we must engender conversation, we must empower voices around domestic violence and we must hear the stories of those whose experience it, and these stories must be used to shift perspective and collectively open our hearts and minds to change.

In our relentless speaking up about domestic violence, as I believe the report outlines, we must articulate the underlying and fundamental cause of domestic violence: the gender inequality that is inherent in so many aspects of community life. We have to recognise the fact that what we are teaching and showing our young men and young women about how women should be viewed and how it is okay to control a woman you are in a relationship with, or have been in a relationship with, through violence is unacceptable.

To effectively address domestic violence we have to meet this issue head on and in a focused way. I am very pleased that this report contemplates this issue and it is now up to all of us to bring this issue to life in the communities we represent through education around this. I am proud to be part of a government that is committed to this and, as I have done before, commend our Premier for his stance on gender equality and his recognition of the link between an imbalance in power between genders and violence.

The report outlines many strategies for us to contemplate in the coming weeks, and together we will do so. We must, however, also work together as a parliament and as a community to ensure that the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, which directly links to support for those experiencing domestic violence and homelessness as a result, is funded by the federal government beyond 2017. As I said in moving the motion to establish this inquiry:

I hope that through this inquiry we have effectively reached out to…community leaders, practitioners, leaders, service providers and others to thoroughly explore and measure together what initiatives to eliminate violence against women we are doing well, what we can expand, better support and grow, where we can expand particular initiatives so that domestic violence does indeed become everybody's responsibility and what negative impending changes we can fight together. The incidence of domestic violence is too great and I hope that this inquiry enables us to work together and take another step together towards ending it.

I look forward to speaking and acting together with you all and with everyone in this place wherever we can to end domestic violence. I look forward to our collective will making a difference.

Earlier, I thanked a number of parliamentarians but, in closing, I want to put on the record my deep gratitude to those who provided evidence to the inquiry for providing that evidence and, importantly, for their enduring leadership day in, day out, year in, year out and, in some cases, decade after decade in working with our community to bring an end to domestic violence.

In particular, I thank a number of front-line service workers, women who have dedicated decades to making a difference, many of whom I am deeply proud to call friends: Ms Desi Alexandridis, Ms Gillian Cordell, Ms Susie Smith, Ms Sue Underhill, Ms Elle Wilde, Ms Vicki Lachlan, Ms Sandra Dunn, Ms Maria Hagias, Ms Sharyn Potts, Ms Katrina Almond, Ms Rosney Snell, and Ms Megan Hughes. I thank all who contributed in many different ways to the inquiry, both for their contribution and their leadership in our shared objective to end domestic violence.

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (17:41): I too rise to speak on this very important motion before the house and I would like to start by quoting some of the 2014 South Australian statistics of victims of family and domestic violence related offences. There were a total of 4,534 female victims of whom 44 per cent were aged between 20 and 34 years, five victims of violence-related homicide offences, 5,691 victims of assault and 249 sexual assaults.

Late last year, I had the absolute honour and privilege of speaking at the White Ribbon Breakfast which was a huge sellout with what, from the stage, looked like thousands of people. I just said yes and did not think about how many people might be there, so it was quite overwhelming looking into the audience and seeing how many people were there.

What that highlights is that there are thousands of people who want to make a difference in this area, but it also highlights the fact that not much has changed. The statistics are incredibly high and we must continue to fight and push to make sure that there is not only awareness about this but action and change, because we cannot continue the way we are.

One in four children are exposed to domestic violence in Australia, and exposure to domestic violence during their childhood increases the risk of children developing mental health, behavioural and learning difficulties. These children are also at increased risk of going on to commit or experience violence. Fifty per cent of calls that police attend regarding domestic violence involve children. These are shocking statistics. Home should be your safe haven, where families stand together and protect each other.

It is devastating to think that in Australia almost two women per week are killed from domestic violence. It is statistically safer to walk alone through Hindley Street late at night, yet we continually hear about government measures to make the city safer when the real danger is in our homes. More needs to be done about domestic violence at all levels—community and government. The economic toll from family abuse is estimated at around $14 billion a year. We cannot afford to keep doing what we have always done.

Thank goodness for organisations such as White Ribbon, Catherine House, the Luke Batty Foundation, and the Zahra Foundation that are keeping the media spotlight on this terrible blight on society. Whilst we need to support women and children, who are predominantly the victims of domestic violence, we must put more money and effort into helping the offenders change their behaviours. Otherwise, we are simply moving the problem onto the next woman to be abused.

When I visited New York almost two years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit with child protection agencies and homeless and housing agencies, but I also met with domestic violence agencies because of the close relationship with child protection. It was heartwarming to hear that they are having very good success when they work very early on in domestic violence situations within a relationship. Where the male offender has not yet left the home, they said that they have had very good results in making and helping the man realise the effect it has on the children.

By taking the focus away from the male-female relationship and focusing on the husband or partner's role in the children's lives and the devastating effect his behaviours have on the children, they have actually managed to change behaviours before it was too late. Often, once the male has the left the home, it is irreconcilable and the damage is done. It is a lot harder to repair the damage to all members of the family and to change the behaviours because the incentive is gone: they have lost their family, so there is not the big incentive to actually change. We do need to act early on and get in there with early intervention programs that are very successful.

From newspapers back on 20 and 21 November 2015, there was an article that stated that, for the 70,000 domestic violence offenders, only 5,000 places were available in behaviour change programs. That is less than 10 per cent, despite the results from such programs being that one-third of participants fundamentally change their behaviour, with another third making some changes. For the women and children in their lives and society as a whole, I would suggest that this is a very good outcome and something we should be focusing on as a community.

Perpetrators need ongoing support, so why do we not set up groups akin to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, where there are regular meetings throughout Australia where people, when they are feeling pressure and need a release and need other people who understand how they are feeling, can go to a support group. I have been to lots of different groups—Soroptimist and many different wonderful community groups that have programs like this set up—but they are bits and pieces here and there and it is not really a well-coordinated system like AA and NA.

There is a really good network. You know when they are on and you know they are in community centres and churches in every local area. There are at least eight in my electorate that meet regularly. Potentially, I think that could be of use to men or people who feel immense anger and do not have a way of releasing that anger or have the skills to know what to do about that.

From the report Vulnerable Children, Fragile Families, by Emeritus Professor Dorothy Scott, under parental characteristics of children entering out-of-home care in 2007, 65.2 per cent of parents were involved in domestic violence. So, we can see that domestic violence has effects on many other portfolios, which is why I have an interest, given my child protection portfolio. It is an issue that is widespread and affects all areas of our community.

Correctional Services data indicates the following. In 2014-15, police issued intervention orders to protect individuals and their families from physical violence and threatening and controlling behaviour 2,883 times, with 1,066 applications to the court for an intervention order in the same period. In 2014-15, there were 90 criminogenic programs delivered and 4,874 program hours across Community Corrections and prisons, with 75 per cent of offenders successfully completing offence-focused programs. That is a start, but we need to do more.

The prevention of violence against women will change society for the better, and I would encourage everyone to go onto the White Ribbon website and take the pledge, which I note changed considerably last year, from simply pledging that you would not commit violence against a woman to actually being more proactive. The pledge is: I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men's violence against women.

Whilst there are thousands of men who are good men who stand up and would never be violent against women, we need those same men to protect other women around them from their male friends, colleagues, sporting mates, the men at the bar—because it is going on. Women cannot make men change; men can make men change. You really all need to get together and say, 'This is not good enough.' We need your help. Women are in danger, and I call on all the men in this parliament to talk to their friends about it to make this unacceptable, because it is unacceptable. Drink driving was common years ago, now it is unacceptable. It is looked down on because we, as a community, said enough is enough. We need to say that with domestic violence.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (17:49): I welcome the opportunity today to speak on the 39^th report of the Social Development Committee inquiry into domestic and family violence, and I will keep my remarks brief as I am mindful of the time. The committee sat through many hours of evidence, some of which was heartbreaking, examining the effectiveness of current, national and South Australian domestic and family violence policies, programs, legislative frameworks, and court processes. Domestic and family violence is, to quote from the summary in the report:

…one of the most prevalent, pervasive, harmful, yet relatively hidden and often ignored forms of abuse. It is a violation of basic human rights.

We know that it can have long-term and intergenerational, psychological, emotional, and financial consequences. It is disruptive to employment and education, and often results in social and economic isolation, homelessness and, tragically, in some cases death. The abuse can be in the form of physical violence, psychological and emotional, threats, control, and financial disempowerment.

The committee received 53 written submissions and heard evidence from 99 witnesses. The evidence came from individual members of the public, government and non-government organisations, police justice, and courts. Thirty-five unanimously supported recommendations were made by the committee, with the aim to continue to progress the fight to prevent and eliminate domestic and family violence in South Australia. The committee heard evidence that:

domestic and family violence rates the highest amongst our most vulnerable populations;

Indigenous women are reported to be 31 times more likely subjected to domestic and family violence;

25 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced one or more incidents of physical violence in the past 12 months;

women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are particularly vulnerable when they are subjected to domestic and family violence;

women and girls who have a disability and live in residential care are more likely to experience more severe and longer episodes of abuse than those without disability;

women and girls living in remote and regional areas may delay accessing help and support services due to fear of reprisals in the community because they do not want to leave their support networks for safe accommodation in metropolitan areas; and

the sad fact is that domestic and family violence often initiates during pregnancy.

We know that more needs to be done to prevent domestic and family violence from occurring in the first instance and that strategic, coordinated and targeted service delivery responses are needed to support the most vulnerable victims.

The committee heard that, while abuse can be suffered in all forms of relationship and kinship settings, violence and abuse is more often than not perpetrated by men against women. There is no doubt that effective and culturally appropriate programs are necessary to re-educate and address the needs of men who are perpetrators of violence against women and, importantly, men and women need to be united in the goal of ending domestic and family violence.

The South Australian government is committed in its response to violence against women, leading the way in service delivery by the Multi-Agency Protection Service, the Family Safety Framework and the Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service. Importantly, our government's commitment to continue working hard towards eliminating family and domestic violence is unwavering.

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (17:53): I commend the committee on the good work of this report, and acknowledge all the members of the committee on the good work and the very good recommendations they put forward. I also acknowledge the work of the DV services around the state. Most of them are volunteers and some of them—too many of them—are past victims or survivors of domestic violence. I want to acknowledge them and their commitment to domestic violence, but also their contribution to this process.

I will not speak long because I know there is a discussion paper coming out from the Attorney-General's Department, which is imminent, and we shall canvass a lot of these issues. I expect I will be speaking on many of those issues as time goes by. I was going to address some of the recommendations, but I think I will save that for another day. I agree with the member for Adelaide and the member for Torrens that it is a men's issue. I do not want to 'mans-plain' or anything, but it is an issue that men do need to take ownership of and accept that it is a problem of men's violence.

On Friday night I will be attending, on behalf of the Premier, a White Ribbon event called the 1,000 Men Challenge launch. The aim of that launch, or that part of the White Ribbon committee, is to reach 1,000 men by the end of 2016, 1,000 men who may not have heard of the White Ribbon campaign, in order to change the hearts and minds of men to help combat domestic violence. With those few words I commend the report.

Ms COOK (Fisher) (17:55): I am really pleased to offer some closing remarks on the 39^th report of the Social Development Committee's domestic and family violence inquiry. The issue of domestic and family violence was brought to the Social Development Committee in 2014 by a previous member of the committee in this place, the member for Reynell Ms Katrine Hildyard, who should be commended for her relentless pursuit of a society that ensures women and children live in a community that is safe.

In the year of hearing evidence and writing this report the committee considered a huge amount of evidence from the South Australian domestic violence sector as well as victims of abuse, police, and legal and associated government agencies that manage the outcomes of domestic and family violence. However, nothing brings the importance of this inquiry to a head more than the tragedy that we have seen in the past few weeks in our community, a stark reminder with the terrible loss of life of a loving mother, Adeline Rigney-Wilson, and her dear children Corey, aged five, and Amber, aged six.

I feel nothing but sadness and despair at the loss of life and hope that has been taken from those dear souls and also from the community. How much sadness the young children in their community must be feeling, their friends lost to their lives. It is devastating and horrific acts of domestic violence like this that take lives, not the actions of any worker or of any system. It is not the empty cupboards, it is not the ice use; it is the act of control and violence by a man in the life of these poor women and their children.

I cannot state it more powerfully than the member for Reynell did before. People in this place, particularly the leaders in this community, must heed this warning and must listen to this, and we must let the police now do their work. We must not score any cheap political points on something like this. It is not the fault of any system or the role of the mother in this; it was an act of control and violence. We have to measure our response and our support. It must be unwavering.

The recommendations from this committee must be taken seriously. They are born out of a deep consideration of evidence and best practice results; not media articles, not hearsay, not knee-jerk reactions. There needs to be a societal shift to say that this is not right, that we will not allow this to happen to our daughters, nieces, friends or colleagues. Men and women must be united in their stand against this covert and insidious part of our culture that causes such great misery, pain and fear to so many and that is perpetuated in silence. We know how we can effect change, we know that bringing this issue into the open will do this. I thank all those people who contributed to this inquiry. Their testimony is doing just that, it is bringing it out into the open.

In closing, I wish to thank my fellow members of the Social Development Committee: from the other place the Presiding Member, the Hon. Gail Gago, who for many years has been relentless in her pursuit of fairness and equality for women and girls, a trailblazer in this state and a role model for all of us in pursuit of safety for women and children; the Hon. Jing Lee and the Hon. Kelly Vincent, both from the other place; the previous presiding member, the Hon. Gerry Kandelaars, himself a fantastic role model for men who wish to help men change; from this house Dana Wortley, the member for Torrens; Adrian Pederick, the member for Hammond; and, of course, again, former member of the committee and my dear friend and colleague Katrine Hildyard, the member for Reynell. As I said earlier, having seen the consequences of this abuse and the struggles faced by the amazing women's sector in providing services to victims, she, on motion, brought this inquiry to the committee in 2014.

Thank you also to the Social Development Committee secretary, Robyn Schutte, present in the house at the moment, as well as research officer, Dr Helen Popple, who came to the committee late in the piece. I would also like to acknowledge the previous research officer, Carmen O'Connell. I thank them for all their work over this long process. It is tiring and it is exhausting to hear some of the stories we heard, but thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the debate. I commend the report to the house.

Motion carried.

At 17:59 the house adjourned until Thursday 9 June 2016 at 10:30.