Shepparton family violence rates are down, but police fear incidents are going unreported

This slight decrease comes as Victoria reported an overall surge in family violence incidents of nine per cent for the same period, as the state grappled with multiple COVID-19 lockdowns.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Bowler heads the Shepparton Family Violence Investigation Unit, a specialised team working to tackle family violence in the community.

When asked if these local results were surprising, he said if there was one thing COVID-19 had taught his team, it was don't expect anything.

“It's a good surprise that it's down, but is that a true, accurate reflection of what's actually occurring within the community?" he said.

“That's the question we need to ask ourselves.”

The COVID-19 lockdowns had Shepparton agencies bracing for a spike in family violence rates, as many victims were locked away at home with their perpetrators.

Ongoing restrictions also presented a range of challenges when it came to the face-to-face reporting of family violence incidents.

While Shepparton agencies swiftly adapted, developing alternative reporting methods, Det Sen Sgt Bowler said only time would tell whether those had been taken up by the community.

“It's good when these numbers drop, but have we seen the peak?" he said.

“Is it still occurring in the community? Yes it is. Is it still occurring at alarming rates? Yes it is. And is it still underreported? I would say yes, it is.”

According to CSV data, in 2020 Shepparton also dropped out of Victoria's "top 10" local government areas with the highest rates of family violence per 100,000 people.

Where Shepparton ranked seventh the previous year with a rate of 2503.8 incidents per 100,000 people, it now sits in 11th place at 2424.1 per 100,000.

Like most other rural communities, Shepparton's rate is still well above the state average of 1379 per 100,000.

When it came to the demographics of affected family members, Det Sen Sgt Bowler said these had barely deviated from previous years.

In Greater Shepparton, 78 per cent of AFMs were female, while 22 per cent were male, and 53 per cent of AFMs were aged between 25 and 44.

“When it comes to the other parties — the perpetrators — that's mirrored, but in the opposite,” he said.

“So 79 per cent of perpetrators were male and 60 per cent of perpetrators were aged 25 to 44.”

Det Sen Sgt Bowler said there was also a disturbing emerging trend of elder abuse, which the unit was working hard to highlight to the community.

In 2020, 10 per cent of AFMs in Shepparton were over 55, whereas six per cent of perpetrators were aged over 55.

“So it's telling us there are a lot more people over 55 that are victims of family violence,” he said.

The latest data also highlighted a stark 55 per cent surge in family violence breaches in 2020 compared with the year before — an increase of 688 breaches to a total of 1934.

But for the Shepparton family violence investigation unit, this was "half expected".

In fact, it may even be a positive sign.

“We've put a lot of work into our victim survivors, making sure they feel safe and confident to report things which may not have been reported previously,” Det Sen Sgt Bowler said.

“We've also been conducting compliance checks on perpetrators including surveillance and unannounced home visits to ensure they are complying with intervention orders.

“So we're using all resources available to try and detect breaches that may have gone unnoticed previously.”

Initially launched as Operation Ribbon at the start of COVID-19, this heightened focus on supporting high-risk family violence victims and holding perpetrators to account will continue far beyond the pandemic.

While COVID-19 highlighted the community's resilience and adaptability, Det Sen Sgt Bowler said it also presented significant challenges for both victim survivors and support services.

“People were isolated at home, stuck in that cycle of family violence and feeling like they had nowhere to go,” he said.

“But our partner agencies and sector services did a fantastic job in trying to come up with alternative ways to engage with the community to ensure they felt supported.”

Looking to the future, it's hoped this downward trend in family violence numbers for Shepparton will continue.

“I would also like to see people have the confidence to report incidences — if not to police, then to another service provider,” Det Sen Sgt Bowler said.

“Because we all know family violence is occurring and we all know it's probably occurring more than what's actually reported.

“Seek support, because there are a lot of people out there that are willing to help.”

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing domestic or family violence, services are available, including:

1800 RESPECT (1800 737  732) — a confidential information, counselling and support service;

Kids Help Line — (1800 551 800) — a free 24-hour, confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years;

Safe Steps — (1800 015 188) — a 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line;

Men’s Referral Service (1300 766 491) provides telephone counselling, information and referrals for men; and

Link2Home (1800 152 152) can help refer women experiencing domestic violence to crisis accommodation.

If you are in danger or in an emergency, always phone 000.