Question Without Notice No. 516 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 September 2017 by Hon Charles Smith
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — BREATHING SPACE PROGRAM
516. Hon CHARLES SMITH to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to recent government figures stating there have been over 55 000 domestic violence incident reports from police in the last 12 months and to anecdotal evidence, including personal experience, suggesting that a victim will usually call police only after 10 violent incidents.
(1) Can the minister confirm there is only one residential provider, Breathing Space, running behavioural change programs for men who have been removed from the family home?
(2) Does the minister have any plans to fund more residential services and behavioural change programs for repeat male perpetrators?
(3) If no to (2), how does the minister expect to rehabilitate these men in the community and reduce recidivist offending?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. Communicare provides the Breathing Space program.
(2) Yes. As part of WA Labor's Stopping Family and Domestic Violence policy, the McGowan government has committed to establish another residential program for male perpetrators.
(3) Not applicable.
For purposes of accuracy, police have not released DVIR figures for 2016–17. The Department of Communities reported 52 525 DVIRs in 2016.