Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General regarding courts.

Leave granted.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON:The Advertiser reported that in response to a question from royal commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja, SA Police Chief Inspector, Kellie Watkins, said officers were attending an average of 100 domestic abuse-related incidents a day. Chief Inspector Watkins also testified that police were imposing an average of nine intervention orders a day. In the same report, The Advertiser noted that the commission had received data showing there were more than 2,700 breaches of those orders last financial year. My questions to the minister are:

1. What impact does the scourge of family, domestic and sexual violence have on the courts?

2. What has the government done to address the resourcing of the courts in order to address this?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for her question. Certainly, the experience of family and domestic violence generally is one that I think is of concern to all of us. As the honourable member has pointed out, there is a royal commission that commenced last year due to report later this year looking at domestic, family and sexual violence.

Certainly, I would be expecting recommendations will be made in a whole range of areas: the services that are provided, education and awareness, prevention of family and domestic violence, and importantly the enforcement, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

I don't have the quotes in front of me that the honourable member talked about—some of the reported comments from evidence that has been given to that royal commission in terms of the amount of time that the police use dealing with family and domestic violence, which is an exceptionally important part of what SAPOL do in the community. When those matters are investigated and come before the courts, I know there are parts of the police prosecutors and the DPP that have very specific and specialised skills dealing with family and domestic violence.

Of course, as those matters find their way through to the courts, we have increased in numerous budgets overall resources in many areas in the criminal justice system, particularly the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and our court systems, but we will be looking forward to recommendations that come from the royal commission to see how we can do things better within existing resources and any recommendations for resources that might be needed in the future.