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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-05-13 Daily Xml
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Domestic and Family Violence

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:28): Like many others in the community and in this place, I am deeply disturbed by some of the hidden problems being exposed as part of the state's extended social lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The growing fear shared by police and domestic abuse experts is that the longer the pandemic goes on the more vicious acts of domestic violence will be committed behind closed doors. Recently, the police commissioner and COVID-19 State Coordinator, Grant Stevens, revealed that police had seen a 9 per cent increase in domestic violence incidents since the pandemic started.

At the same time, domestic violence support agencies continue to hold fears about the number of victims who cannot make calls for assistance because they are isolated in the same household as their perpetrator. Prior to schools returning in term two a couple of weeks ago, child abuse notifications had also reduced due to the absence of children from schools and the inability of mandated notifiers, namely, teachers and school personnel, to make observations and reports. SAPOL has revealed that its officers are conflicted about a reduction in child abuse notifications they have received due to the earlier absence of children from school due to the pandemic and the inability of those mandated notifiers to make observations and reports.

Victoria Police combated similar concerns last month by launching Operation Ribbon to specifically tackle an anticipated rise in domestic violence. It is in this worrying environment that I recently called for all firearm and ammunition sales for sporting and recreational purposes to be temporarily restricted to protect potential domestic violence victims as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit Australia, albeit not as bad as other parts of the world.

This follows similar restrictions in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. In recent weeks, SA women's services providers have reported a significant reduction in calls for help since COVID-19 restrictions began. This is despite an increase of nearly 70 per cent of online searches on women and domestic violence from South Australia since lockdown. According to national watchdog Counting Dead Women, 16 Australian women, including one from South Australia, have died from violence so far this year.

The SA victim was a young Adelaide mum of three, aged just 33, who was allegedly killed by her former partner in her own home in the southern suburbs. To add to the tragedy, none of her neighbours, who heard her murderous screams for help, attempted to help. It really makes you question what sort of society we are living in when nobody addresses those calls for help. It is why in this place I have been asking the state government what it is doing to protect at-risk domestic violence victims and vulnerable children in light of the concerns raised by the police and DV support agencies.

We all have a role to play: keep an eye out on members of your community, check on people you know are vulnerable, report any concerns you have. That is exactly what 76 prominent South Australians have done by signing a letter calling for greater domestic violence vigilance. I was honoured to be approached recently to be one of the signatories urging us all to be the eyes and ears of those trapped in violence behind closed doors during lockdown. Many may have seen some media exposure of the letter in today's The Advertiser. I salute Our Watch founding chairwoman and former federal Democrats leader, Natasha Stott Despoja, who is the brainchild behind the letter.

Other signatories include the Premier; the opposition leader; former prime minister Julia Gillard; my colleague in this chamber the Hon. Tammy Franks; Dr James Muecke AM, Australian of the Year 2020; Dr Richard Harris, Australian of the Year 2019; and many other passionate South Australians. As Natasha said, and I quote:

The letter is intended as a gentle, but heartfelt reminder, that we can all be good by-standers, that we can all look out for each other, especially in such stressful and tough times.

I could not agree more. For the record I seek leave to table a copy of that letter.

Leave granted.

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