“From motels,the safe exit rate is 50 per cent.”
The primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia,Archbishop Makarios,has written to Allan separately asking the government to help expand the Sanctuary pilot,which the archdiocese has helped establish and fund.
Data collected by Safe Steps in May from family violence intake agencies,at the request of the state government,showed between 200 and 350 women and children a night who have fled violence are in motels around the state.
Tobin gave the premier an evaluation by consultancy Urbis that showed increasing Sanctuary-style wrap-around services would cost less than motels and would provide future savings of between $14,000 and $69,000 in “avoided costs” per client because women would not be returning for repeat help.
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“This can be done with little to no additional system operating expenditure by rediverting money spent on motels and outreach,” said Tobin,who is an economist.
The request comes as Safe Steps and Victoria Police are working to have women’s suicides deemed to have been triggered by family violence treated as family violence deaths.
So far in 2024,the police Family Violence Command and Safe Steps have requested thatthree suicides strongly suspected to have been due to serious family violence history be further investigated by the coroner as family violence deaths.
Tobin met the State Coroner,Judge John Cain,last week regarding the issue,and to discuss inclusion of standard questions about previous engagement of a deceased person with Safe Steps,which could indicate family violence was a trigger for the death.
A fourth woman strongly suspected to have chosen to end her life rather than continue to live with family violence died about 10 days ago.
Tobin seated in a Safe Steps crisis shelter unit.Credit:Eddie Jim
Safe Steps’ practice excellence manager,Nina Levin,said putting victims in motels continued their sense of isolation and feelings of helplessness,and could amplify the psychological impact of family violence.
“The harsh reality of motels as refuges is that there is a clear link between motels offering temporary safe havens for victims fleeing family violence,and an increase in suicide,suicide attempts and self-harm,” she said.
In his letter to the premier,Archbishop Makarios said:“I believe violence against women and children is one of the most pressing issues in our community.”
He said that “armed with the overwhelming evidence of … life-changing outcomes” of supported accommodation at Sanctuary,the archdiocese was committed to supporting its expansion so that more lives could be saved.
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Jocelyn Bignold,chief executive of McAuley Social Services for Women,which also provides supported crisis housing with on-site services for survivors,said McAuley’s new 14-unit supported accommodation facility was being evaluated.
“We would dearly like to include more services on site,but don’t have the money to do so,” she said. “Ideally,the sector would have enough places (not all in one spot) for any woman/child who needs crisis accommodation,rather than use motel rooms.”
Australians protested against the elevated death toll linked to family violence at national rallies in April. By April 30,28 women had died allegedly at the hands of violent men.
A state government spokesperson said:“Core and cluster refuges play a critical role in supporting victim survivors of family violence – that’s why the Victorian budget 2024/25 invested more than $72 million to provide immediate support and emergency accommodation for survivors of family violence. This included support for the Sanctuary model.”
The premier and the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence,Vicki Ward,recently met sector representatives to hear about what is working and what more needs to be done to provide emergency accommodation for those escaping family violence,the spokesperson said.
Safe Steps 1800 015 188.
National Sexual Assault,Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 131 114