Inquiry into family violence offenders

An inquiry into the collection of data about perpetrators of family violence across the state was held at Geelong’s Eastern Hub.

The Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee held three days of hearings this week, including one at the Eastern Hub Geelong from 9.30am on Wednesday, August 7.

Chair and member for Lara Ella George said the committee was seeking input on how to collect data on the profile and volume of incidents of family violence in Victoria.

Ms George said the committee also looked to understand more about the barriers to collecting data on the volume of people using family violence and how the challenges can be overcome.

“We need to do more to identify people using or at risk of using family violence,” she said.

“It is important for the Committee to hear from sector experts what opportunities there are to ensure we are capturing valuable data on the profile of people who are choosing to use violence.”

The Geelong hearing heard from organisations representing disability rights groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and rural health services.

The hearings started in Melbourne from 10.05am on Monday, August 5, and 9am Tuesday, August 6, and were open to the public with the transcripts available on the committee’s website.

The inquiry into capturing data on the profile and volume of family violence perpetrators was referred to the committee on March 21 this year. It is expected to report its findings by March 31, 2025.