Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence. On Friday, 31 July, I hosted a White Ribbon fundraiser to support the White Ribbon campaign. Although anyone can commit family violence, men are drastically over-represented as offenders in this area. During that time, I was able to present a submission to the inquiry into family violence, which covered the notions of relationship education, body safety and support for the LGBTI community.
Men are drastically over-represented as offenders in this area — thus White Ribbon’s focus on men’s violence against women. That allows the foundation to advocate for men to be the solution to family violence rather than just the problem. In Northern Metropolitan Region family violence incidents rose from 9861 to 10 721. That is an increase of 8.7 per cent, which is well above the Victorian average. In 2013–14 family violence was the reason for exactly half of all assaults, 52 per cent of all abductions and kidnaps and 57 per cent of all harassment offences in Northern Metropolitan Region. More than a third of all rapes and 27 per cent of all sex offences were perpetrated in the context of family violence. Three women were murdered in Northern Metropolitan Region in the context of family violence in that period.
Darebin and Whittlesea saw the second-largest increases of 12 per cent, but the worst was Hume, which saw an increase of 14 per cent. Neither Hume nor Whittlesea is in the catchment for some of the current men’s behaviour change programs. These programs can allow men to undertake counselling and receive support in altering violent and damaging behaviour, leading to better outcomes for women, children and families as a whole.
I call on the minister to add gazetted postcodes for court-ordered counselling and men’s behaviour change programs to include the cities of Hume and Whittlesea. Additionally, I call on every member of Parliament to consider taking the White Ribbon oath in recognition of the responsibility of every single one of us to help combat family violence.
