Domestic Violence
The NSW Government is committed to improving the justice system response to domestic and family violence.
In 2015, the Government made reducing domestic violence reoffending one of its highest priorities, establishing it as a Premier’s Priority.
To support achievement of the Premier’s Priority, the Government is delivering a comprehensive and innovative program of work focused on: intervening earlier; driving behaviour change among sentenced offenders; and actively monitoring and policing high risk offenders.
By working with domestic violence perpetrators to address their behaviour and hold them to account, we are improving victim safety and protecting our community from the serious harm caused by domestic violence reoffending.
News
Victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and their animals will be better protected as a result of recent legislative amendments
From 27 March 2021 changes to the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (CDPV Act) will come into affect. These amendments include changing the definition of intimidation to explicitly include harm to, or harm threatened to the animals of a victim-survivor as a form of intimidation, which is a crime. The amendments also ensure that every apprehended violence order (AVO) will explicitly state that harm to a victim-survivor's animals is prohibited.
Read more about how Victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and their animals will be better protected as a result of recent legislative amendments.
Domestic and Family Violence Pets and Animal Welfare Support (DFV PAWS) Grant Program
The NSW Department of Communities and Justice has developed a grants program to support victim-survivors of domestic and family violence to leave violent situations without worrying about the safety of their pets.
Learn more about the Domestic and Family Violence Pets and Animal Welfare Support (DFV PAWS) Grant Program.
Coercive control discussion paper
The Department of Communities and Justice has released a discussion paper on coercive and controlling behavior in the context of domestic and family violence in NSW.
For further information and a copy of the discussion paper is available visit Coercive control discussion paper.
Changes to ADVOs
Reforms were also introduced in 2018 to strengthen the Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) regime. Further information about these earlier reforms is contained in the below media release and factsheet: