Victoria may strengthen laws to put people who attack emergency service workers in jail, after one offender walked free despite badly bashing a paramedic.
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Premier Daniel Andrews made the undertaking as the opposition argued the laws aren't worth the paper they're written on.
James Haberfield, 22, was in a psychosis after days of drug-fuelled partying at Rainbow Serpent festival when he attacked paramedic Monica Woods in January.
On Wednesday Haberfield avoided being locked up under mandatory jail laws because of his mental state. Ms Woods has still not returned to work.
Ms Woods has slammed the sentence, saying hardship, mental health and drug use is no excuse for what Haberfield did.
"You put drugs in your system and I think, at some point, somebody has to take responsibility for that," Ms Woods told 3AW on Thursday.
"I don't choose to put drugs in my system and go out and hurt people.
"I have empathy towards everyone, it's a sad situation, but at some point, somebody needs to take responsibility for this."
Mr Andrews on Wednesday urged the Department of Public Prosecutions to review the decision at the Magistrates' Court.
He is waiting to see whether such an appeal occurs, but says he could take further action if it doesn't happen or it gets defeated.
"I don't rule out changing the laws to make sure that the clear intent of the parliament is reflected in decisions that magistrates make. It is simply unacceptable," Mr Andrews told reporters on Thursday.
The government passed laws a year ago making it mandatory for people convicted of attacking or injuring emergency workers on duty to be dealt a custodial sentence, except in some reasonable circumstances where that wouldn't be appropriate.
"These circumstances, in this case, I don't think fit within that reasonable room that was left," Mr Andrews said.
Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien accused the government of ignoring warnings there were too many loopholes in the laws that could allow people to get off.
"They're not worth the paper they're written on," he told reporters.
The premier has acknowledged there may be too much room to move.
"There should be a fair and balanced law, that's what we wrote, at least we thought we'd done that. But it seems that there is still perhaps too much room there."
The board and members of Paramedics Australasia is glad the laws may be strengthened.
"If parliament speaks as the representative of the community, as it has done with this legislation, then a mandatory jail sentence must actually mean what it says," the organisation's president Peter Jurkovsky said in a statement.
Australian Associated Press
