A Central Hunter police domestic violence liasion officer believes efforts to improve domestic violence rates are half way to where they need to be.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Senior Constable Jenny Brown said there has been some good progress made in the field, but that there was still a lot to do.
She detailed legislation changes, such as police-issued AVO’s, as well as increased funding for refuges and court programs as positive progress.
However Senior Constable Brown said there needed to be further support for refuges as well as improvements in the court system to improve the problem.
“The court system has still got a long way to go,” she said. “There needs to be more consistent penalties.”
Senior Constable Brown also wants to see domestic violence education in schools.
She acknowledged the Love Bites program, an optional schools domestic violence and sexual assault prevention initiative.
However, she said it should be part of the curriculum in order to bring down the problem.
“If there is inter-generational change there will be a reduction in domestic violence,” she said.
The court system has still got a long way to go.
- Senior Constable Jenny Brown