AN increase in the number of applications for intervention orders in the North East has brought with it harsher penalties for offenders who breach them.
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A Sentencing Advisory Council report reveals penalties for breaches in Victoria have become more harsh.
This excludes fines which were the most common penalty for non-aggravated order breaches making up about 27 per cent of the total punishments.
Community sentences followed at almost 25 per cent, low-end orders at 22 per cent then imprisonment making up 16 per cent of penalties.
Council chair Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg said the increase in the number of fines was concerning.
“During the last few years there has been a trend for police and courts to treat contraventions of family violence intervention orders more seriously,” he said.
“However, the continuing use of fines to sentence breaches of family violence orders remains an area of concern.”
Between 2010 to 2014, applications for intervention orders in Wodonga jumped from 181 to about 452.
Towong went from 116 to 305 while Moira increased from 46 to 139 applications.
Victoria Police North East family violence advisor Sergeant John Huntington said a change in community attitude was needed alongside the role of authorities.
He said the matter of breaches was of particular importance leading into the holidays when more breaches are typically reported.
“We've had a massive spike in offences for breaches over the last four years in line with the uptake of reports,” Sergeant Huntington said.
“We know we will see an increase over Christmas when people find themselves subjected to abuse or family violence.
“This extends beyond physical and sexual abuse, it includes verbal, social and emotional abuse and we encourage people to report it and seek protection through courts and domestic violence services.
“We’ve been treating these breaches seriously and will hold people accountable.”
