A RECENT federal government proposal to prevent ongoing domestic violence by issuing GPS ankle bracelets to repeat domestic violence offenders has received a mixed response in Orange.
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The bracelets would help monitor the location of offenders, who could be banned from going to certain locations as part of an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO).
Prime Minister Tony Abbott made the announcement on Sunday, with the proposal to also be taken to the states and territories.
Central West Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service manager Penny Dordoy said the proposal would be a good start, but needed to sit alongside other initiatives that were both victim, perpetrator and community focused.
“Any move to place the burden back on the perpetrator is a good thing,” she said.
“Some questions that come to mind are, how will this keep the victim safe, and how will the victim be notified?
“I can imagine that this system could be suitable for perpetrators whose bail provisions have excluded them from a particular town, but as we know, domestic violence is more complex than two people being in the same physical space.”
Solicitor Mick Madden has been involved with AVOs for years, representing people from both sides of the issue in court, and was pleased domestic violence was being highlighted.
However, he questioned how the ankle bracelets would work in keeping repeat offenders away from a person in need of protection (PINOP) outside a restricted area.
“I want to know, if it’s to keep the offender from the PINOP then you need to know where she is as well,” Mr Madden said.
He said there needed to be more funding for police working with domestic violence cases, rehabilitation of offenders and programs such as Interrelate, which he said help with issues such as visitation with children.
“I see a lot of frustration from people, whether they are defending it or have been found guilty. There’s a lot of frustration about no access to children so you need programs like Interrelate,” Mr Madden said.
Ms Dordoy also called for more support and resources for programs such as a victim-based program launched in Orange last September, which had received more than 1000 referrals from police and about 350 victims deemed at serious threat.
People experiencing domestic violence should phone triple zero if in immediate danger, otherwise phone the Local Coordination Point on 6361 1999 or the NSW Domestic Violence Line on 1800 656 463.
tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com
