Brave Rosie celebrates son stolen from her
Domestic Violence Victoria chief Tania Farha says that while the number of survivors seeking help had spiked since the lockdown restrictions were introduced, services were available for those who need assistance. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, specialist family violence services have seen an increase in first-time reports, the violence has been more severe,” she says. “People who choose to use violence are finding ways to use the pandemic to justify abusive…
More Details >Family violence workers burnt out in midst of ‘shadow pandemic’
Domestic Violence Victoria, the state’s peak body for family violence services, was working with the state government to provide and expand specialist counselling and support for family violence workers, chief executive Tania Farha said. “Specialist family violence services for experiencing family violence can be the difference between life and death. Adequate support for the workers providing these services must be prioritised,” Ms Farha said. The Age 20/10/20
More Details >Feminist family violence chief has ‘lived experiences that shaped my life’
Tania Farha, CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria told The Sunday Age she welcomed Ms Callaway’s appointment: “In particular, we welcome the promotion of a woman with such relevant experience to such an important senior role within Victoria Police.” The Age 17/10/20
More Details >Coronavirus: Alarm at rise in home violence
Domestic Violence Victoria has said perpetrators are using the pandemic to prevent their partners and children from leaving home, while withholding basic items such as food, medicine and hand sanitiser to control their victims during the pandemic. The Australian 15/10/20
More Details >Vulnerable Victorians become ‘collateral damage’ during fight against coronavirus
Domestic Violence Victoria warned perpetrators were stopping family members from leaving the home, hiding essential items such as food and medical documents and even threatening to expose children to the coronavirus. Factors including financial stress, unemployment, feeling trapped or uncertain about the future have been identified as contributors to the increase or onset of violence in homes. Herald Sun 8/10/20
More Details >‘I knew I needed an escape plan.’ The reality of leaving an abusive relationship in 2020.
Tania Farha, the CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria, tells Mamamia: “The pandemic restrictions are providing perpetrators with more opportunities for victim-survivors to isolate from their family, friends, other community support networks, as well as support they might otherwise find in their workplaces.” During this pandemic there has also been an increase in first-time reporters of family violence, Farha says. She adds that with the economic fallout of coronavirus, perpetrators are…
More Details >Record family violence offences and COVID fines drive crime rate surge
Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Tania Farha said the rise in cases came after Victoria Police had tried to break down the barriers for victims to seek help following the Royal Commission into Family Violence. “We are anticipating a surge in demand for specialist family violence support when restrictions end and as Victoria begins down the road to recovery from the pandemic,” she said. She said the surge was expected…
More Details >Victoria’s family violence killers sentenced to less jail time than those who commit random murders
Domestic Violence Victoria CEO Tania Farha said family violence was historically viewed as a private issue and the criminal justice system was not originally designed to respond adequately. Ms Farha said progress had been made over the years, mostly through feminist advocacy and from the Royal Commission into Family Violence, but many myths and victim-blaming attitudes remained, which led to family violence crime being viewed as less serious than offences…
More Details >Coronavirus has made financial abuse more common, experts say. Here’s what to do about it.
“Economic abuse is really pervasive where family violence is present,” said Alison Macdonald, the CEO Of Domestic Violence Victoria. “It’s one tactic to manifest power and control over someone else.”… “The pandemic is being used to justify their controlling behaviours — things like limiting access to money, controlling someone’s ability to acquire and use money, or making threats about the family’s economic security,” Ms Macdonald explained… Unfortunately, some abusers are…
More Details >Reborn White Ribbon’s new boss puts faith in goodwill, and Rosie Batty
Domestic Violence Victoria’s Alison Macdonald said the signs were positive for the new White Ribbon and its intention to collaborate and be accountable to the sector was critical. “They’re a new organisation effectively rebuilding from the ground-up. They’ve inherited an incredibly huge audience,” she said. “So they can really do some good work by leveraging on that reach.” She said every time White Ribbon began a campaign, it would drive…
More Details >Domestic abusers withold food, medicine during pandemic
Domestic Violence Victoria acting policy unit manager Alison Birchall said perpetrators are using the pandemic to prevent victims from leaving home. In the worst cases offenders are threatening to expose children to COVID-19 to control their partners. “An extension of that is perpetrators controlling medication and health documents and financial support like Medicare or bank cards so victims don’t have options for escaping,” Ms Birchall said…. Ms Birchall said it…
More Details >Slow drip of domestic violence funding ‘not good enough’
Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Alison McDonald said that, while the state’s sector was better funded than that in NSW thanks to reforms that emerged from the royal commission into violence against women, service providers were worried about the impact of Melbourne’s latest stage-three lockdown. “Family violence thrives in isolation and at the moment everybody’s isolated,” she said. “Men who use violence are weaponising the pandemic to further perpetuate power…
More Details >‘Urgent need’: Violent men facing delays in getting help amid pandemic
Domestic Violence Victoria acting chief executive Alison Macdonald said the programs are valuable, but cannot be the only approach to hold perpetrators to account. “We need a range of interventions and means for a system to work together to keep men’s behaviour in view and hold them accountable,” she said. The Age 16/7/20
More Details >Chief Medical Officer backs Victoria’s lockdown of ‘vertical cruise ship’ towers
“There will be women, kids and vulnerable people living with family violence in the locked down public housing estates. They must be allowed to seek support and leave if their safety is at risk.” SBS News 5/7/20
More Details >ABC Radio Interview with Virginia Trioli on Police Perpetrators
On 19/6/20, DV Vic Acting CEO Alison Macdonald was interviewed on ABC Radio with Virginia Trioli regarding police perpetrators of family violence. The recording is available here. Alison’s interview begins at 25mins 20sec.
More Details >Victoria Police, minister apologise to domestic violence victim after ‘appalling’ privacy breach
Domestic Violence Victoria acting chief executive Alison Macdonald said victims of police family violence faced “additional barriers to reporting and accessing safety”. They are calling for alternative reporting avenues and additional safeguards to be put in place to ensure the safety of spouses of police officers is prioritised and investigations are trauma-informed. “The way the system currently operates, it relies on victim-survivors reaching out to the perpetrator’s employer and potentially…
More Details >New domestic violence inquiry to probe national failures in keeping victims safe
“We were a bit surprised by the new inquiry because there have been many and we haven’t necessarily seen the recommended changes in various different areas being implemented,” said Alison McDonald, chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria, the peak body for specialist family violence services supporting victim-survivors. “Having said that, the terms of reference look comprehensive and sound so, to that end, I hope it will be a comprehensive inquiry…
More Details >Domestic violence services prepare for demand as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease
Alison Macdonald, acting chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria, said there was clear evidence a surge in demand was coming. “We know from international evidence that there are spikes in family violence in post emergency and post crisis situations,” she said. “We know that from Australian experience with bushfires, with floods and with cyclones. “Of course, we haven’t seen a crisis of this nature before, but if we apply what…
More Details >Helping women at risk of domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic
“Think of the COVID-19 restrictions as an opportunity to re-engage with your friends who might be unsafe, using your own social isolation as an explanation for why you’re calling more often than usual,” suggests Alison Macdonald, acting CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria. You can help with her safety plan by offering to keep copies of her important documents or storing an “escape bag” for them, Ms Macdonald says. “You could…
More Details >Domestic Violence Victoria calls for more help to cope with increased demand during coronavirus pandemic
Domestic Violence Victoria spokeswoman Alison Birchall said increased time spent at home could exasperate volatile family situations and prove dangerous to victims… She called on the state and federal government’s to provide more money so services could cope with the predicted increase in demand. “Our concern is that family violence will increase in terms of frequency and severity during the coronavirus pandemic,” Ms Birchall said. “While we’ve never experienced anything…
More Details >Violent Perpetrators Are Using The Coronavirus As An Excuse For Domestic Abuse, Frontline Workers Say
Domestic Violence Victoria acting chief executive Alison Macdonald agreed women are at risk of surveillance, and that isolation is a risk factor in family violence. “[Isolation] is a tactic that perpetrators use to enable them to control and surveil their family members and we’re particularly worried about what that will mean for people in abusive relationships who might become more isolated from friends and family,” Macdonald told BuzzFeed News. She…
More Details >Domestic Violence: Services scramble to support victims during coronavirus
Alison Macdonald, CEO of Domestic Violence Violence, admitted there were infrastructure concerns of how the family violence workforce would adapt but stressed the importance victim-survivors knew help was still available and planning was underway to provide pandemic-operational crisis accommodation. “People need to know it’s business as usual – you can still contact support services. There will be a response there for you to safety plan, particularly in this period when…
More Details >Court closure ‘not an option’ in face of family violence spike
Domestic Violence Victoria’s acting chief executive Alison Macdonald said the focus was ensuring the services were upstanding during the pandemic. “The system is moving very fast to make sure they continue to provide a response through this period,” she said. Sydney Morning Herald 22/3/20
More Details >Virus prompts domestic violence warnings
Likewise, Domestic Violence Victoria acting chief executive Alison Macdonald said enforced isolation could see a rise in domestic violence cases. This occurred during natural disasters, with the coronavirus another unprecedented event, Ms Macdonald told AAP. Frontline workers needed more support and service providers needed more pointers on hygiene practices or what to do if facing staff shortages, she said. “We absolutely need to put out some advice for accommodation providers,”…
More Details >How philanthropy can help tackle the scourge of family violence
Opinion piece by Emma Morgan, project coordinator of The Family Violence Philanthropy Collaboration Project. Pro Bono News 17/3/20
More Details >Women and children are being forced into homelessness because of social housing shortage
A powerful coalition of family violence and homelessness support services warns women and children are at risk because the Andrews Government is failing to deliver enough social housing. Domestic Violence Victoria, the Salvation Army and the Council to Homeless Persons are among dozens of groups demanding the government boosts housing supply to meet recommendations of the family violence royal commission, which finished four years ago. Herald Sun 16/3/20
More Details >Victorian family violence victims left homeless after seeking help
Alison Macdonald, spokesperson for Domestic Violence Victoria, added that a lack of social housing was putting vulnerable women at risk. “We know that becoming homeless is one of the most common reasons women and children are forced to return to violent relationships,” Macdonald said. Pro Bono News 10/3/20
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