❓ Ms. Stephens questions the Attorney General on the expansion of GPS monitoring for family violence perpetrators. The Attorney General outlines the new measures and their impact on community safety and perpetrator accountability.
AnsweredQoN 823Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE OFFENDERS — GPS TRACKING
823. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Attorney General:
I
refer to the expansion of GPS monitoring conditions for family violence
perpetrators by the Cook Labor government.
(1) Can the
Attorney General outline to the house how these tougher monitoring requirements
build on the measures introduced by the Labor government in 2020?
(2) Can the
Attorney General advise the house how these measures will protect the community
and hold domestic violence perpetrators to account?
VIOLENCE OFFENDERS — GPS TRACKING
823. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Attorney General:
I
refer to the expansion of GPS monitoring conditions for family violence
perpetrators by the Cook Labor government.
(1) Can the
Attorney General outline to the house how these tougher monitoring requirements
build on the measures introduced by the Labor government in 2020?
(2) Can the
Attorney General advise the house how these measures will protect the community
and hold domestic violence perpetrators to account?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much for the
question, member.
(1)–(2) It
was in 2017, on the election of the government, that the Minister for
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence was appointed. We have already
passed new legislation introducing new offences like persistent family violence
and declarations of serial family violence offenders and increased penalties.
However, we recently announced new measures to track domestic violence
offenders in the community to stop them in their tracks. The courts will be
required to mandatorily order the affixation of a bracelet to domestic violence
offenders in three circumstances, the first of which is when a person is
accused or convicted of breaching a family violence restraining order by the
commission of a family violence offence, and that includes 30 offences ranging
from murder right down to stalking and threats. Secondly, a person who is accused of a family violence offence who is
subject to a serial family violence offender declaration will have a bracelet affixed mandatorily. Thirdly, a person
who is released from prison under parole or a post-sentence supervision
order for a family violence offence and a restraining order is in place—as
there usually is because on imprisoning a family
violence offender, the courts regularly impose a violence restraining order to take effect upon the person's release from custody—will also
have a bracelet affixed mandatorily by order of the Prisoners Review Board.
Those offenders who are directed to stay at home on bail can have a bracelet mandatorily affixed as well to make
sure that they stay there. Additionally, we will be introducing a mandatory
term of imprisonment for those people who have been ordered to wear a bracelet
but cut it off, because but for that bracelet, they would likely have been
behind the wall. If they cut their bracelet off, that will be an express ticket
to go back behind the wall. I note that when the Supreme Court orders the affixation of a bracelet under the High Risk
Serious Offenders Act, the unlawful removal of that bracelet by an offender results in a 12-month mandatory
term of imprisonment. We think that a six-month mandatory term in these
circumstances is very good.
The technology has been developing apace.
We introduced this as a trial. Now we are breeding it out into a larger cohort—those
people I have referred to. But I want the chamber to rest assured that
technology is developing all the time and that we will be taking further
measures to keep pace with the development of technology, including artificial
intelligence, which will help us keep track of these types of offenders. This government will not rest and will not slacken
off in its effort to suppress domestic and family violence.
question, member.
(1)–(2) It
was in 2017, on the election of the government, that the Minister for
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence was appointed. We have already
passed new legislation introducing new offences like persistent family violence
and declarations of serial family violence offenders and increased penalties.
However, we recently announced new measures to track domestic violence
offenders in the community to stop them in their tracks. The courts will be
required to mandatorily order the affixation of a bracelet to domestic violence
offenders in three circumstances, the first of which is when a person is
accused or convicted of breaching a family violence restraining order by the
commission of a family violence offence, and that includes 30 offences ranging
from murder right down to stalking and threats. Secondly, a person who is accused of a family violence offence who is
subject to a serial family violence offender declaration will have a bracelet affixed mandatorily. Thirdly, a person
who is released from prison under parole or a post-sentence supervision
order for a family violence offence and a restraining order is in place—as
there usually is because on imprisoning a family
violence offender, the courts regularly impose a violence restraining order to take effect upon the person's release from custody—will also
have a bracelet affixed mandatorily by order of the Prisoners Review Board.
Those offenders who are directed to stay at home on bail can have a bracelet mandatorily affixed as well to make
sure that they stay there. Additionally, we will be introducing a mandatory
term of imprisonment for those people who have been ordered to wear a bracelet
but cut it off, because but for that bracelet, they would likely have been
behind the wall. If they cut their bracelet off, that will be an express ticket
to go back behind the wall. I note that when the Supreme Court orders the affixation of a bracelet under the High Risk
Serious Offenders Act, the unlawful removal of that bracelet by an offender results in a 12-month mandatory
term of imprisonment. We think that a six-month mandatory term in these
circumstances is very good.
The technology has been developing apace.
We introduced this as a trial. Now we are breeding it out into a larger cohort—those
people I have referred to. But I want the chamber to rest assured that
technology is developing all the time and that we will be taking further
measures to keep pace with the development of technology, including artificial
intelligence, which will help us keep track of these types of offenders. This government will not rest and will not slacken
off in its effort to suppress domestic and family violence.
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