Investigation Into Issues Associated with Violence Restraining Orders and Their Relationship with Family and Domestic Violence Fatalities
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IMPORTANT: Subject to a non-disclosure direction pursuant to section 23(1a) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1971 Investigation into issues associated with violence restraining orders and their relationship with family and domestic violence fatalities Investigation into issues associated with violence restraining orders and their relationship with family and domestic violence fatalities Ombudsman Western Australia Serving Parliament – Serving Western Australians About this Report This Report is available in print and electronic viewing format to optimise accessibility and ease of navigation. It can also be made available in alternative formats to meet the needs of people with a disability. Requests should be directed to the Publications Manager. Requests to reproduce any content from this Report should be directed to the Publications Manager. Content must not be altered in any way and Ombudsman Western Australia must be acknowledged appropriately. Contact Details Street Address Level 2, 469 Wellington Street PERTH WA 6000 Postal Address PO Box Z5386 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6831 Telephone: (08) 9220 7555 or 1800 117 000 (free call) Facsimile: (08) 9220 7500 Email: [email protected] Web: www.Ombudsman.wa.gov.au ISBN (Print): 978-0-9802905-6-1 ISBN (Online): 978-0-9802905-8-5 First published by Ombudsman Western Australia on 19 November 2015. 2 Ombudsman Western Australia Investigation into issues associated with violence restraining orders and their relationship with family and domestic violence fatalities Contents Ombudsman’s Foreword ................................................................................................... 7 Helpful contact information .............................................................................................. 9 1 Executive summary ................................................................................................... 13 1.1 About the investigation ..................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Understanding family and domestic violence ................................................................................... 14 1.3 Key findings and recommendations ................................................................................................. 16 1.4 Table of recommendations ............................................................................................................... 37 2 About the investigation ............................................................................................. 45 2.1 The Western Australian Ombudsman .............................................................................................. 45 2.2 About the investigation ..................................................................................................................... 48 2.3 Terms used in this report ................................................................................................................. 51 Part 1: Family and domestic violence in Western Australia ........................................ 53 3 Understanding family and domestic violence ......................................................... 55 3.1 Definition of family and domestic violence ....................................................................................... 55 3.2 Victims of family and domestic violence will resist violence and try to protect themselves ............. 56 3.3 Victims of family and domestic violence may seek help to resist the violence and protect themselves ....................................................................................................................................... 58 3.4 Perpetrators of family and domestic violence make a decision to behave violently towards their victims .............................................................................................................................................. 60 3.5 Perpetrators use family and domestic violence to exercise power and control over victims ........... 60 3.6 Perpetrators avoid taking responsibility for their behaviour and being held accountable for this behaviour by others .......................................................................................................................... 62 4 Family and domestic violence in Western Australia ............................................... 63 4.1 Prevalence and incidence of family and domestic violence in Western Australia ........................... 63 4.2 Location of family and domestic violence incidents ......................................................................... 65 4.3 Demographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators of family and domestic violence ............. 67 4.4 Communities experiencing higher rates of family and domestic violence ....................................... 69 4.5 Family and domestic violence legislation in Western Australia ....................................................... 74 4.6 Strategies for preventing and reducing family and domestic violence in Western Australia ........... 76 5 Family and domestic violence fatalities notified to the Ombudsman ................... 83 5.1 Nature of relationship between people who were killed and suspected perpetrators ...................... 83 5.2 Demographic characteristics of people who were killed and suspected perpetrators ..................... 84 5.3 Prior history of family and domestic violence ................................................................................... 90 5.4 Use of violence restraining orders .................................................................................................... 95 5.5 Prior custodial history ....................................................................................................................... 97 5.6 Family and domestic violence and the use of alcohol and other drugs ........................................... 97 Ombudsman Western Australia 3 Investigation into issues associated with violence restraining orders and their relationship with family and domestic violence fatalities 6 Aboriginal family violence ...................................................................................... 107 6.1 Aboriginal people are overrepresented as victims of family violence by a factor of 10 ................. 107 6.2 Understanding Aboriginal family violence ...................................................................................... 108 6.3 Strategies addressing Aboriginal family violence ........................................................................... 111 Part 2: Administration of legislation relevant to family and domestic violence, including particularly the Restraining Orders Act, by state government departments and authorities ...................................................................................... 117 7 Violence restraining orders and their role in preventing and reducing family and domestic violence .................................................................................................... 119 7.1 Legislative basis for violence restraining orders ............................................................................ 119 7.2 Key principles for the administration of the Restraining Orders Act .............................................. 123 8 Providing victims with advice and assistance regarding violence restraining orders ................................................................................................................. 133 8.1 WAPOL’s initial response to reports of family and domestic violence ........................................... 134 8.2 Police officers are required to attend the scene of reports of family and domestic violence ......... 134 8.3 WAPOL’s policy requires police officers to identify whether reported incidents involve acts of family and domestic violence .................................................................................................................... 136 8.4 When investigating reports of family and domestic violence, WAPOL has an opportunity to provide information and advice about violence restraining orders and seek consent to share information with support services ...................................................................................................................... 139 8.5 Police orders have been introduced to provide victims with time to consider and seek a violence restraining order ............................................................................................................................. 142 8.6 Police officers are subjected to hostility and violence when responding to reports of family and domestic violence ........................................................................................................................... 146 8.7 The need for a multi-agency response to family and domestic violence ....................................... 147 9 Taking action to protect victims of family and domestic violence ...................... 149 9.1 Police officers must apply for a violence restraining order, or issue a police order, after investigating reports of family and domestic violence (or provide a written reason for not doing so) ................. 150 9.2 WAPOL’s policy provides that, instead of seeking a violence restraining order or issuing a police order, police officers can record that protective bail conditions are in place ................................. 157 9.3 Responding