Online Tracker Introduced by Government for Female Victims of Intimate Partner Homicide
The statistical dashboard is scheduled for release in mid-2024.
The Albanese Labor government has introduced a new statistical dashboard to monitor female victims of intimate partner homicide.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth stressed the importance of being able to “measure” violence to effectively combat it.
“Accurate, verified, closer to real-time data is crucial to achieving this aim,” the ministers mentioned in a statement.
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) developed this statistical dashboard to provide more timely reports on female victims of intimate partner homicide and aid law enforcement, government, and policymakers in understanding the extent of the problem.
“We know that 89 percent of victims of intimate partner homicides in 2022-23 were women,” the ministers pointed out.
“Every single one of these lives lost is a tragedy. We all have a role to play in ending violence against women and we know that all governments have more work to do.”
Female Victims Rate Declines
The intimate partner homicide dashboard reveals there were five female victims of intimate partner homicide between January 1 and March 31, 2024, a decrease from the same period in 2023, which saw eight victims.
In April, the AIC’s National Homicide Monitoring Program report indicated that 34 women were killed by an intimate partner from 2022 to 2023.
The dashboard data specifically accounts for incidents where a woman has been killed by an intimate partner, rather than listing all women killed.
The Federal government aims to reduce female intimate partner homicide by 25 percent each year.
Meanwhile, Shadow Minister Sussan Ley expressed in parliament on June 4 that Labor is not meeting its targets to end violence against women.
She raised concerns about at least 26 women reportedly killed due to domestic and family violence this year.
Ms. Ley criticized the Albanese government’s progress, noting that it had pledged to end domestic violence within a generation.
“A generation is 20 years. Two years in, we are not on track to fulfill this promise, and data indicates we are moving in the wrong direction,” she commented.
She mentioned that the Coalition supports sensible measures in the Labor budget but overall finds it a “disappointment for victims of family and domestic violence.”
“It’s a promise they were quick to highlight in the media. So I urge them to do more to deliver on their promises,” she concluded.
Budget Measures Related to National Plan
The new statistical dashboard to track female victims of intimate partner homicide is part of the Labor government’s record $3.4 billion (US$2.3 billion) investment to support the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.
The Plan allocates $925.2 million over five years from 2024 for the Leaving Violence Program to provide financial assistance, safety assessments, and referrals to assist victim-survivors leaving abusive intimate partner relationships.
Another $756.4 million over five years from 2023–24, and $258.2 million annually thereafter, will be dedicated to provide financial support of up to $5,000, risk assessments, safety planning, and short-term referral services.
Furthermore, $152.3 million will be injected over three years from 2024 to expand the “escaping violence payment” and temporary visa holders experiencing violence pilot trials until June 30, 2025.
