Violence must stop
FIVE years ago this week, we were handed a transformational opportunity to save lives and change the future of Indigenous women and children living in the distressing shadow of family violence in their own home.
But not enough has been done to prevent the scourge that remains endemic throughout our communities in the years since the Royal Commission into Family Violence final report was handed down. Rates of family violence against Indigenous women still continue to increase every year.
More than two-thirds of Indigenous women who were victims of violence report a family member or intimate partner as the perpetrator.
Sadly, we know this is just the tip of the iceberg as many cases still go unreported to police.
Progress to implement the Royal Commission’s findings relating to Indigenous Victorians has been slow, with five of the nine recommendations still not in place five years on.
Advocates, including Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight, have condemned the delay on these “easily achievable targets … if the Victorian government had the will to implement these recommendations, it can do so”.
Victoria’s also made little to no progress towards meeting national targets under the Closing the Gap agreement to bring down family violence rates for Aboriginal Victorians.
Every Victorian deserves to feel safe in their own home. It is time for the talk and endless delays to stop. The violence must end and lives must be saved.
Peter Walsh,
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Emma Kealy,
Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
