NFPs Key in Royal Commission

More than half of the submissions to Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence have come from Not for Profits working on the ground dealing with the family effects and legal outcomes of abuse.

As the Commission begins its second day of public hearings, the inquiry said it has received almost 1000 submissions.

The inquiry is being  chaired by Commissioner Marcia Neave with Patricia Faulkner from Jesuit Social Services and Tony Nicholson from the Brotherhood of St Laurence serving as Deputy Commissioners.

Commissioner Neave said in her opening address that the objective of the inquiry "is not to undertake a forensic investigation about the cause or occurrence of a particular event rather our goal is to set strategic directions, so that future generations will be able to say this commission was a turning point in the struggle against family violence."

In January 2105 domestic violence campaigner, Australian of the Year  and Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 member, Rosie Batty, welcomed the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence.

The new Labor Premier Daniel Andrews released the terms of reference for the promised commission  soon after winning office .

The move was prompted after meetings with Batty after her 11-year-old son Luke Batty was murdered by his father in the town of Tyabb, on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula almost a year ago.

“It’s really great when you see Governments following through with their promises in such a strong manner of leadership,” Batty said at the time.

“It sends a very clear message that the extent of the problem is now recognised and no more bandaid fixes and wasted short-term campaigns. This needs strong, intense investigation and a long-term strategy.”

Rosie Batty was named in Pro Bono Australia’s Impact 25 list in December 2014 – highlighting the most influential people in Australia’s Not for Profit sector as voted by the sector.

The hearings will explore key issues and questions relevant to the family violence system through twenty modules:

• Introduction: What is family violence and who experiences it, including causes and contributing factors

• Children ­– Introduction and early intervention

• Children – Intervention and response

• Financial abuse and empowerment

• Alcohol and drugs

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders:Experiences and opportunities

• Housing and homelessness

• Mental health

• Risk assessment and risk management

• Perpetrator interventions

• Initial police response

• Family violence intervention orders – Application process

• Family violence intervention orders – Monitoring and enforcement

• Criminal justice response

• Overlapping jurisdictions – The role of family law and child protection law

• Culture change in workplaces and the community

• Diversity of experiences, community attitudes and structural impediments

• Role of the health system

• Integrating services

• Information sharing.

The inquiry was told that input from individuals and organisations was critical to the Royal Commission's task of investigating issues relating to its terms of reference.  

The Royal Commission also released an issues paper.  

The hearings can be viewed live online HERE.