By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Victoria Police have arrested nearly 44 known family-violence offenders in a week as part of a Covid-19 pandemic operation.
Operation Ribbon started mid last week targeting family violence perpetrators and victims during the “high-risk” time coronavirus lockdown period.
So far, family-violence call-outs had slightly increased – but not offences, Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said on 21 April.
However, police expect a spike as victims find safe ways of reporting the crimes to family and friends while in isolation.
“Hopefully we’re wrong but we have to prepare and plan for the worst.”
As of 21 April, specialist family-violence police detectives had visited 106 known family-violence perpetrators identified as the most “high-risk”.
Of them, 13 were remanded, 17 bailed and four charged on summons for offences including assaults and intervention order breaches.
Officers also “reached out” to 241 of the most at-risk family-violence victims, Dep Comm Patton said.
“We are sending a strong and clear warning to perpetrators; closed doors will not protect you from being held to account.
“Police will be knocking on doors of those known to us to ensure they are not committing harm.
“There is never an excuse to abuse a family member.”
Dep Comm Patton said family violence remained a “significant issue” in Victoria, with 84,400 police call-outs in 2019. That’s equivalent to one every six minutes.
In recent weeks, about 14 per cent of complainants attributed the Covid-19 situation as the cause of “dispute and animosity in the family home”, he said.
In a further coronavirus safety measure, those on bail will not have to attend police stations as part of their bail conditions from Friday 24 April.
This protects frontline police as well as the community from 40,000 “non-essential” trips by bail recipients each month, Dep Comm Patton said.
New bail applicants would be subject to the “arguably more stringent” Covid-19 restrictions as part of their bail conditions. A breach of the restrictions would be a breach of bail.
Those of the highest flight risk will be on an offender management plan.
On 23 April, the State Government will introduce a Bill to allow police to use Skype and “other” technology to monitor bail recipients.
Support for family violence victims is available 24 hours a day on 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au
In an emergency call triple-0.
