[Greens-Media] Barnett Government must do more to deal with domestic violence

[Richards, Kirsten]

Greens Spokesperson for Women, Hon Alison Xamon MLC, today called on the Barnett Government to take domestic violence more seriously and to urgently act on its stated intention to hold perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their actions.

The comments were made in Parliament last night following recent court cases where women had been killed by their partners who were then given insufficient sentences.

"It is appalling that the Government's so-called tough stance on crime does not appear to extend to action against domestic violence.  The victims in these cases, and their families, deserve justice," Ms Xamon said.   

"The tragic case of Ms Saori Jones, whose estranged husband could potentially only serve three years of jail time for her brutal killing, is a horrific example of our system failing victims of domestic violence." 

Ms Jones was killed in December last year when she was punched in the head by her estranged husband in front of their two children. Her body was left to rot in his apartment for almost two weeks before police found it following a search of the house. On 21 September Mr Jones was sentenced to only five years jail after pleading guilty to assault resulting in death. With parole he could be released by December 2013.

Ms Xamon said she supported calls from the Women's Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA) for the Barnett Government to send a stronger message to offenders and the community that domestic violence is extremely serious and will not be tolerated. 

"As a start, we should be reviewing the penalties for offences involving domestic violence", Ms Xamon said.

"And clearly, if the case of Saori is anything to go by, there is still considerable room for improvement in the way that police respond to matters of domestic violence.

"Ms Jones was a loving mother who, at only 31 with two young children, had everything to live for. Her life was important. She deserved to live.

"Her two young children will grow up without a mother, and with the awful knowledge that she was killed at their father's hand under horrific circumstances.  The least we can do is to ensure justice is done and do everything possible to ensure this can never happen again."