Family violence survivors say they are being left in the dark when their abusers are released from custody, in the wake of a Coroner’s report showing failures by authorities to protect a woman murdered by a “high risk” serial family-violence perpetrator.
In a letter to the Coroner’s Court, Victoria Police opposed several Coroner recommendations including that police notify all victims in an active FV intervention order of a court outcome within 48 hours.
Noeline Dalzell was stabbed to death in February 2020 by her ex-partner James Fairhall in her Seaford home, in front of their three children. Fairhill was subsequently jailed for 25 years for Dalzell’s murder.
Despite an active family violence intervention order, Dalzell was not notified of Fairhill’s release from custody in November 2019.
Fairhall had a 17-year-long history of family violence against Dalzell and a violent criminal history dating back to 1993.
He was subject to an arrest warrant for a family violence intervention order breach 75 days before the fatal attack.
Victoria Police said it would not be able to implement the notification policy due to resourcing pressures, citing a 40 per cent rise in family violence cases over the past decade. It also noted that Fairhall’s release from custody was not considered a court outcome, and therefore would have been outside the scope of the coroner’s recommendation.
Instead, Police pointed to the existing voluntary Victims Register as the appropriate mechanism for victims to receive updates about an offender’s release from custody, and suggested the courts are better placed to manage any broader notification system.
Linda, a member of Facebook group Gippsland Mama, criticised this process as an unnecessary barrier.
“This was an 11 page document that required me to go back through the abuse, make copies of all previous IVOs, to prove that I was in fact a victim,” she said.
“Telling victims and former victims basic information like ‘yep, he’s just been sentenced to another three years’ should be common courtesy. The legal system’s exacerbation of DV is absolutely disgusting!”
Women told the Gazette they only discovered an offender’s release by accident — a slip of the tongue, a missed court proceeding, or even a letter from their abuser.
“I only found out through a slip of the tongue when I was being interviewed regarding my cancellation of child support. I couldn’t stop crying, I felt so relieved,” a member of Gippsland Mama said.
“I have asked the police on numerous occasions if he was out and they couldn’t tell me. It’s so messed up. I’m only alive because he ‘let me know’ he was out and on the way to get me. I’ve been out of this relationship for almost 20 years, but I still fear this man,” Pakenham’s survivor Michelle said.
As Manager of Gippsland Mama, Sian Broadbent has “seen too many women in our community fall through the cracks of a system that leaves them vulnerable and unprotected”.
“If we can’t get the basics right — like notifying a woman when the person who harmed her is released — then the system isn’t just flawed. It’s dangerous,” she said.
“It seems like common sense: if domestic violence is the leading crime issue in Victoria, then victim notification is a simple and necessary preventative measure. If Victoria Police don’t have the resources, then let’s work with them. Let’s find out what it would take — so they do. So they can.”
Survivor-advocate Rosie Batty (OAM) said if this recommendation is not implemented, it means that victims “can’t rely on the system and their safety remains their own responsibility”.
“I’m horrified that police don’t feel they have the resources to prioritise this,” she said.
“This is a contradiction and disappointment. That women’s lives continue to be under-valued and the threat of future violence is still not considered a police priority when statistics tell us that family violence is the majority of police business.
“Surely, we recognise how important prevention is rather than continuing to pick up the shattered pieces of people’s lives after violence has occurred.”
A member of Gippsland Mama said technology could also offer a ‘simple solution’ that authorities seem unwilling to implement.
“Surely it can’t be that hard to design (like automatic notifications to victims about offender release), especially with AI now — and considering the government supposedly spends millions on DV, they should have the funds to do this.”
In a street vox pop by the Gazette, Berwick resident Samuel Kingston acknowledged that police take domestic violence seriously and respond to it daily but accused the State Government of “failing victims.”
“If we had more police, more ambulances, better funded hospitals and better resources for firefighters, then everyone would be safe.”
Emily, a resident of Pakenham, said the system lacks the insight and emotional awareness to understand the lived reality of survivors.
“Being alone, knowing your ex is out there and can turn up literally any day or time is beyond terrifying. You become a prisoner in your own home. Every knock on the door makes you jump, any noise at night puts you on edge,” she said.
“You must make sure you have all of your exit plans in place before bed every night. Is everything locked? Is my go bag in the car? Make sure my keys are hidden but findable, how to grab the kids, put a weapon somewhere efficient but safe. Every night!
“Looking over your shoulder all day wondering if you will see him at Woolies. Nowhere is safe. Except prison. I can only imagine—because attacking me physically over three times isn’t enough to convict, apparently—the relief she must feel knowing where he is at all times.”
With the latest crime statistics released on June 19, family violence incidents in Cardinia have alarmingly surged nearly 18.9 percent, with police recording 1,985 cases in 2025 compared to 1,669 the previous year.
