Record number of family violence arrests

The dramatically high violence rate in Victoria, however, is not a record for any population to be proud of.

The majority of offenders are being apprehended for violently assaulting their partners or former partners and children, stalking and making threats to kill.

They’re also being arrested for actively avoiding police detection, outstanding warrants and unserved or breaching family violence intervention orders.

“The family violence we’re seeing perpetrated against partners or former partners and children is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway said.

“These new figures highlight the force’s continual efforts in tracking down these family violence offenders — some of the worst in the state — with one arrest every 17 minutes.”

Crime Statistics Agency figures show 30,853 family violence offenders were either arrested or summonsed to court in the year to September 2024, which equates to an average of 84 arrests or summons to court each day.

It’s the highest number of arrests police have made for family violence since recording began in 2005.

Recently, a 26-year-old man was arrested for serious family violence offending, including regular assaults on his victim, as well as failing to answer bail.

The Victorian man travelled to rural NSW with the victim in his control before being tracked down by the Family Violence Command Taskforce, who worked with NSW police to apprehend him and ensure the victim’s safety.

The man was then extradited to Victoria and brought before the courts where he was sentenced to four months’ jail and placed on a 12-month community correction order.

“While we know some offenders go to great lengths to avoid apprehension — including blackmailing victim-survivors or using friends to keep them in hiding — they’re always in the sights of police,” Asst Commissioner Callaway said.

“We will continue to work tirelessly day in and day out to apprehend these offenders and bring them before the courts to ensure the safety of victim-survivors.

Work by the Family Violence Investigation Unit also resulted in the arrest of a 40-year-old man for violence on his former partner that included stalking and using technology — particularly multiple different phone numbers — to harass the victim, as well as persistently contravening a family violence intervention order.

The man also impersonated a police officer and messaged the victim to order her to attend a police station as she was wanted for arrest. He was sentenced to 16 months in jail.

Several family violence arrests in the past year have been supported by Victoria Police’s specialist units, including the Public Order Response Team, VIPER Taskforce and Intelligence and Covert Support Command Proactive Targeting teams.

Police are urging that if you or someone close to you disclose they are a victim of family violence, please believe them and encourage them to contact police or a specialist support service.

Police can provide safety for victims who make a report, and refer them to support services, working closely with family violence support agencies, including Safe Steps and No to Violence.

∎ Support is available 24 hours a day through Safe Steps by calling 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au. Safe Steps also has webchat available on weekdays from 9am to midnight, which can be accessed by visiting safesteps.org.au/live-chat.

∎ If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s behaviour, No to Violence runs a men’s referral service which helps men who use violence to change their behaviour, and can be contacted on 1300 766 491.

∎ In an emergency call 000. If you can’t get to a phone, ask someone else to do it for you.