Victim support close to capacity

Welfare agencies and refuges in Albany and the Great Southern are struggling to deal with an increasing level of domestic violence victims, with reports of family and domestic violence rising by 18 per cent in the past year.

Great Southern police attended an average of 36 domestic violence incidents per week in the past year, totalling 1887 reported incidents, up from 1589 in the previous year.

As a result, the number of charges laid increased by 30 per cent from 556 to 724, while the number of incidents investigated by police also rose by 23 per cent.

Offences laid included assault, sexual assault, breaching violence restraining orders and breaching police orders.

Great Southern Family Protection co-ordinator Sergeant Merryn Bojcun said the incidents reported to police were only a fraction of the domestic violence with many victims continuing to suffer.

Sgt Bojcun said the rise in reported incidents was attributed to an increase in confidence of victims to seek help from police and welfare agencies.

“I think there is a lot more communication, with education and awareness happening, and some victims are therefore more likely to report,” she said.

“The only problem is our report agencies are under-resourced and overwhelmed.”

Sgt Bojcun said waiting lists for victim support services were up to three months, there were limited options for medium-term accommodation, and victims were forced to leave the region to find suitable accommodation.

“The refuge is full about every day of the week,” she said.

“We just don’t have the resources to meet the demands.”

Anglicare regional manager Tim Christie said the agency’s counselling services for women and children were experiencing waiting lists, while the Albany Women’s Centre was regularly full.

“All these services are pretty busy and have long waiting lists,” he said.

“We would always talk to people in crisis and we encourage them to come forward.

“All the resources, not just ours, are being placed under considerable stress.”

Mr Christie said there had also been a significant increase in the Changing Tracks counselling service for perpetrators.

“I think there has been a change in the way the community sees family violence,” he said.

“There has been various movements like White Ribbon and I think the attitude of men towards family violence has changed.”