I am calling on our politicians both in the state of Western Australia and at a federal level to seriously review the bail conditions, or lack thereof, set on domestic violence perpetrators, and the timeframe it takes for these cases to go to trial. For too long now we see multiple reports on the news of domestic violence victims finally having the strength to speak up about what they are going through, for the perpetrator to be arrested and then released on bail and continuing to abuse the victim, or worse, kill them. 

Here are some recent examples found by a quick google search:

https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-charged-with-murder-of-newcastle-mum-alleged-domestic-violence/8a0eac5e-29df-43a5-b62b-be14177db9ce​

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-28/qld-hannah-clarke-inquest-murder-abduction-dv-restraining-order/100913610

How long are we going to allow the perpetrators to walk free, awaiting trial, whilst the victims live in fear?

According to Keep Trying Domestic Violence Support, 15 women have died in 12 weeks due to domestic violence.

Also, according to Destroy the Joint (@JointDestroyer), 43 women were killed in 2021 by violence.

How long are we going to allow the rights of the perpetrator to trump the rights of the victim? Why do we allow this culture of being sorry after the crime has been committed rather than taking better steps to prevent it? How many more victims are going to be allowed to suffer at the hands of their abuser, and murdered, before the government does something? 

Let’s take the awful example of Mackenzie Anderson who recently lost her life at the hands of her ex-partner who was recently released from prison for assault charges against her. I ask the politicians to take the examples of the victims across the country, the hundreds, if not thousands, who find themselves defenceless at the hands of their abusers and stuck in a system that doesn’t seem to care about them at all.