Australian official calls for domestic violence to be taken as seriously as terrorism

Canberra, Aug 21 (IANS) Domestic violence should be treated with the same significance as terrorism, an official, charged with ending gendered violence in Australia, said on Wednesday.

Micaela Cronin, Australia's Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence commissioner, on Wednesday, released the first annual report tracking the progress of the government's National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a speech to the National Press Club here, Cronin called for deploying all the tools that are currently used to fight terrorism to prevent domestic violence offences.

"I think that what we need is for the community to take as seriously threats of domestic, family and sexual violence as they take terrorist threats, act on them as urgently and recognise that they are different," she said.

The inaugural report highlighted the need for the government to support overwhelmed support services and systems for victims of domestic violence and called for the government to ensure that men are engaged in every aspect of ending violence.

Cronin said that meetings with over 300 individuals and organisations revealed anger, distress and frustration from many communities at the lack of progress in addressing gender-based violence.

According to a report published by the Australian Institute of Criminology in July, intimate partner homicide (IPH) accounted for almost one-quarter of all homicide incidents in Australia between 1989-90 and 2022-23, with women the victims in three-quarters of IPH incidents in that period.

Tens of thousands of Australians joined protests around the country in April and May, demanding greater action to stop gender-based violence following a series of high-profile incidents.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marched with protesters in Canberra and described the issue as a national crisis.

Tabling the progress report in parliament on Wednesday, Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Justine Elliot said that it showed there were no quick fixes to the crisis.

"Eliminating violence against women and children is a national priority backed by immediate action and driven by a generational goal," she said.

"Today's report presents a vital opportunity for continued action, improvement, and development."

She said the government has committed 3.4 billion Australian dollars ($2.2 billion) to fund women's safety in the last three federal budgets.

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