Almost 2700 arrests of family violence offenders and 7500-plus charges laid during a police blitz in the South East so far in 2024.
The violence includes stabbing and strangulating partners in front of children, assaulting children, stabbing elderly family members and threatening a partner with a machete.
The crackdown targeted Cardinia, Casey, Greater Dandenong, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula – with four of these municipalities in the top 15 for family violence offences in Victoria.
Police have run dedicated operations, as well as making proactive checks on known offenders and victims to increase the chances of detecting family violence.
“More than 7,500 charges laid against perpetrators shows just how seriously we treat family violence,” says Victoria Police’s Specialist Investigation and Support Inspector Rod Maroney – who oversees the Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong region.
“That is an average of 17 arrests every day, or one arrest every hour-and-a-half.”
Insp Maroney said almost half of the police’s workload relates to family violence.
“We have made an enormous number of arrests this year.
“We know that family violence knows no boundaries, however, we also know that these five municipalities are some of the state’s most impacted areas.
“That’s why we have put such a heavy focus on identifying this type of offending and doing everything we can to prevent further harm.”
Family violence reporting across the state was up 3 per cent in the past year. Insp Maroney told ABC Radio it was encouraging that victim-survivors were coming forward.
Among the hundreds of incidents was a man arrested and remanded on the same day as allegedly strangling his partner in front of her primary-school aged child.
A 42-year-man subject to a family violence intervention order was arrested after allegedly stabbing a woman inflicting life-threatening injuries as well as assaulting a teenager.
The victim-survivor was discharged from hospital a week later with “life-changing” injuries.
The alleged perpetrator was arrested at the scene and charged with intentionally causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, common law assault, three counts of making threats to kill, and three counts of contravening an FVIO intending to cause harm or fear.
A 44-year-old man subject to an intervention order allegedly threatened his female partner with a machete and caused injuries to her hand.
The man was arrested and charged with persistent contravention of an FVIO, eight counts of contravene FVIO, threat to inflict serious injury, two counts of common law assault, three counts of recklessly cause injury, assault with a weapon, and fail to stop vehicle on police direction.
In other cases, a 41-year-old woman was charged with the alleged stabbing of a 74-year-old woman known to her.
She was charged with intentionally causing injury and stealing a vehicle.
A 42-year-old man subject to an intervention order allegedly stabbed a 70-year-old male family member and assaulted a 73-year-old female family member.
He was charged with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, common law assault, contravening a Family Violence Intervention Order intending to cause harm or fear, assault with weapon, and aggravated assault.
In the latest official crime stats, Casey ranks No.1 for family violence with 5564 incidents in the year ending March 2024.
Greater Dandenong stands 10th with 2613 incidents and Cardinia 25th with 1669 incidents.
Victoria Police advises that if you or someone close to you discloses they are a victim of family violence, please believe them and encourage them to contact police or a support service.
Support is available 24 hours a day through Safe Steps by calling 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au
No to Violence runs a Men’s Referral Service which helps men who use violence to change their behaviour and can be contacted on 1300 766 491.
In an emergency call Triple Zero (000).
