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Counting dead women and domestic violence in Australia: How did we do in 2016? – SMH - 30 December 2016 - Daisy Dumas
With the end of the year comes the end of a grim annual tally of dead women in Australia.
On December 8, the counter flicked to 70; by the 20th, Sarah Thomas' murder by a man she knew in a courthouse in WA forced the figure to 71.default,
Luciane Sperling believes women like herself need to get the word out about how strong survivors of domestic violence are.
In 2015, 80 women across Australia died at the hands of violence. Destroy the Joint, which meticulously collates the Counting Dead Women register, estimates that 80 per cent of those deaths were the result of domestic violence.
Half-way through the year, the figure was 34 – down from 47 at the same time in 2015, but a number that Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack said was still of "epidemic proportions". In the six months since, 37 more women died due to violence.
In 2016, family violence rates have not improved - although awareness has.
In a year that has seen rising public awareness of domestic abuse yet cuts in funding towards the problem, the register remains just one blunt indicator of the grip of family violence in Australia.
Moo Baulch, chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW, says that according to pressures on frontline services, reports of family violence are on the rise.
"Anecdotally, our services were saying that, before Christmas, it felt as if the Christmas rush had come early. It has been much busier."
While likely linked to raised awareness of family violence, her observation corresponds to crime figures published on Thursday that show that Victorian sexual assault rates rise around the holidays, when additional spending, child care and time together create a tense mix of emotions in the household that can lead to domestic violence.
But this festive season, says Baulch, there are other factors at play, too.
"There are extra pressures on people this year. There are more people living one pay packet away from homelessness. Poverty and homelessness is growing - we know those things contribute to family violence."
By December 20, 71 women across Australia had died at the hands of violence.
This year, federal and state funding to frontline responses has largely been negligible, while planned cuts to legal services in 2017 will greatly impact the vulnerable, she says.
"There is absolutely no doubt that any cuts to that area is contributing to women returning back to violence. It's really cutting edge work that community legal centres do in this space. If we're going to get rates of violence down ... then there needs to be significant funding in those areas."
But the picture isn't entirely gloomy, and Baulch praises the continued rise of family violence awareness as thrown into the spotlight by 2015 Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.
"There was definitely a fear at the end of 2015 that the momentum might be lost, but I don't think that's happened. The conversation has got more sophisticated, it's still there in the sphere of public awareness and that's great."
She says that a highlight of the year included October's COAG National Summit on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children, when heads of state sent a strong symbolic message, if nothing else – yet.
But perhaps the single most impressive step towards ending family violence has been taken by Victorian leaders, she said.
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"The Royal Commission and action in Victoria has really set a high bar in terms of prioritising responses to women and children impacted by violence, but also how we work with perpetrators, tackling key stuff around crisis accommodation and long term transition accommodation.
"Great work Victoria," applauds Baulch, "not so great, the other state and territories."