WOMEN who experience family violence do not feel safe attending court, are concerned about their children's safety and want perpetrators to acknowledge the harm they have done, according to a new report.
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The Why Didn't You Ask? report, released by the Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre, found more than 90 per cent of women wanted to have their concerns for safety heard and respected.
The report also found that other processes beyond criminal sanctions, such as men's behaviour change programs, were important for women who wanted their partner or former partner's behaviour in relation to gender violence monitored.
Key findings included:
More than 90 per cent of women wanted their concerns for safety to be heard and respected.
?More than 70 per cent of women wanted to make their children safer.
Almost 70 per cent of women wanted to begin to heal from the harm that had been caused.
Other significant responses included:
More than 65 per cent of women ranked ‘very much’ for his behaviour to be monitored;
Almost 65 per cent of women ranked ‘very much’ for him to acknowledge the harm he has done.
Just under 60 per cent of women ranked ‘very much’ for him to be challenged about his behaviour.
More than 50 per cent of women selected ‘very much’ that they came to court to end or have closure on their former relationship;
More than 50 per cent of women also ranked ‘not at all’ in response to the response option “To maintain
my relationship but with boundaries for my safety”;
The centre's Courtney Lucanto said the interim report into family violence in the Loddon Campaspe Region found the demand for assistance exceeded the LCCLC's capacity to provide support.
She said the legal system in rural areas was not equipped to deal with issues of family violence.
"Many courts in the area do not have separate waiting areas for a victim of domestic violence to wait in, so they end up having to face the person who terrifies them,'' she said.
"Even though there are police present it can still make women fearful."
She said another factor which made family violence worse in rural areas was that communities were small.
"Her husband may be seen as a stand-out bloke and the community cannot understand how terrifying he is to her,'' Ms Lucanto said.
"So she might not get the support she needs from those around her.''
"For too long victims of family violence have not had the opportunity to say what it is they want out of the court process and the justice system response.
"This project aims to highlight what it is that women want out of this process.''
For the full interim report, visit www.lcclc.org.au
