VICTIMS ARE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD

EXCLUSIVE – SUZAN GIULIANI

Domestic violence victims fleeing abusive relationships are being left in “life or death” situations, with some unable to access a federal government emergency payment for at least three months, delaying their ability to secure safe accommodation.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Cumberland Women’s Health Centre has received an average of four to six complaints per week since July last year from victims unable to access the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) Leaving Violence Program emergency assistance payment, administered through Telstra Health.

Under the scheme, women who are fleeing domestic violence can access a one-off $5000 emergency assistance payment, of which $1500 is in cash and $3500 in vouchers for goods and services.

Since 1 July 2025, theLeaving Violence Program has been administered by Telstra Health.

*DVNSW’s senior policy and advocacy officer Angie Gehle . Picture: Richard Dobson*

It was previously known as the Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) and was delivered by Wesley Mission.

NSW’s Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT), who created a dashboard earlier this month, found that almost one-third of all homicides involve a known history of DV.

The team found almost 300 women were killed by their current or former intimate male partner following a history of DV in the past 26 years.

At least four women, who have experienced horrific abuse at the hands of their ex-partners, said these failures in the system had placed them and their children at further risk.

Frontline workers say if the women are unable to access the payments they could be forced to remain in “dangerous” and “life-threatening” situations.

A domestic violence victim, Amanda*, who has been seeking support from the Cumberland Women’s Health Centre since the start of this year, said she had applied for the emergency payment in March after escaping a “violent situation” but was still waiting for her application to be finalised.

“I fled an extremely violent situation and I have four children to look after. The whole ordeal has been extremely traumatic and having to wait for this financial support has just been so stressful,” she said.

Amanda said she experienced ongoing “glitching” while trying to complete her application for the Leaving Violence Program, as well as lengthy phone call delays.

“I’ve also been kept on hold for more than 45 minutes to an hour. The helpline staff also call on a private number and in some cases I’ve been forced to have to retell my whole experience, which traumatises you over and over again.

“These delays need to be urgently fixed. This is a matter of life or death for women in these situations, the system should help them, not make it harder for them.”

Salwa Kaushal, who is the chairwoman at Cumberland Women’s Centre’s domestic violence prevention committee, said it was “deeply concerning” many applicants were encountering substantial barriers in accessing the support that the program was designed to provide.

“We are receiving an average of four to six complaints per week from victim-survivors and service providers reporting excessive wait times when attempting to contact the program by phone,” Ms Kaushal said.

Ms Kaushal said in “most cases” both victim-survivors and service providers had spent considerable time attempting to complete applications to access the program, only to be prevented from submitting them due to “technical failures”.

“These concerns are further compounded by the program’s 12-week eligibility window, which does not adequately reflect the complex realities women face after leaving violence, including safety concerns, trauma, housing instability and financial insecurity.

“For women in crisis, these delays can mean the difference between accessing timely support and abandoning the process altogether.”

DVNSW senior policy and advocacy officer Angie Gehle said Telstra Health and the DSS had been “completely unprepared” for the overwhelming number of referrals since July last year.

Ms Gehle said while efforts had been made to fix some issues, women were still experiencing delays and barr-iers in accessing the payment.

“Victim survivors are still waiting for lengthy periods of time without that payment,” she said.

“These vulnerable women will disengage from those services, and they will have no choice but to remain in very dangerous, life-threatening situations.”

A Telstra spokeswoman said: “We know that victim-survivors reach out to the Leaving Violence Program helpline at some of the toughest moments in their lives, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

“Answering the call quickly and providing the support they need is our goal every day.

“At times there have been delays in answering some calls and for that we’re sorry. Together with DSS, we’re taking steps to address these delays and make further improvements so that anyone who calls can get the support they need.”

A DSS spokeswoman said “The Australian government is working closely with Telstra Health to ensure victim-survivors are receiving support through the Leaving Violence Program in a safe and timely way”.

“The department tracks performance of all national programs and providers, including Telstra Health’s delivery of the Leave Violence Program,” they said.

“Since the permanent launch of the program … almost 20,000 victim-survivors have been helped with financial assistance and safety planning.

“The department will keep working closely with Telstra Health and the family, domestic and sexual violence sector on continuously improving the program.”

*Not her real name

Full article here (paywall)

First person charged under new DV orders

The Sydney Morning Herald

Date: May 28, 2026

Author: Amber Schultz

A man with a “serious history of violence” has become the first person in the state charged with contravening tough new domestic violence orders which grant police greater surveillance and monitoring powers.

Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders, introduced in September 2024, apply to adults who have been convicted of two or more serious domestic violence offences or have been involved in serious abuse.

Dallas Honeysett was released on parole in February 2025 after serving just under four years in prison for five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of reckless grievous bodily harm, one count of reckless wounding, as well as property damage charges, stalking and attempting to influence witnesses.

A year into parole in February this year, the 42-year-old was charged with contravening an apprehended violence order. In April this year, he was issued a Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Order. The order was made for five years, expiring in 2031.

Less than a month later, he was charged with breaching that order.

Honeysett appeared via video from Griffith police station before the bail division local court yesterday. His defence lawyer argued he should be granted bail as he lives with post traumatic stress disorder and depression, and is engaged with mental health and social services to assist him and had enrolled in a family domestic abuse course starting this week.

“He says that now that he has help … his future is changing, and he is confident that he is doing the right things for the first time,” his defence lawyer said.

However, the prosecution argued that their case was “strong if not overwhelming”, and that any time spent on remand was unlikely to outweigh his sentence.

Breaching a Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Order carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

“There have been fresh offences since that parole date, further offences of domestic violence, including contraventions of Apprehended Violence Orders,” the prosecution said.

“There was more than enough time for him to get the mental health treatment he required [since parole].”

Judge Miranda Moody refused bail. “He has a very serious history of violence and a long history of noncompliance with orders of the court,” she said.

Honeysett began to cry as bail was refused. He will next face Griffith local court on June 11.

Under Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders, a court can impose any conditions it deems appropriate to prevent domestic abuse, which can include stringent police reporting requirements, notifying police when commencing an intimate partner relationship, and not being allowed to use social media and dating apps.

Dallas Honeysett was released on parole in February 2025.

Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald

Original Article here

Minns Labor Government cracking down on domestic violence offenders and organised criminals

Tuesday, 5 May 2026

The Minns Labor Government is strengthening protections for domestic violence victims and disrupting organised crime networks with landmark new laws being introduced into NSW Parliament today, targeting stalking and the criminal misuse of tracking devices.

The changes respond to the NSW Crime Commission’s Project Hakea report finding tracking and other surveillance devices are increasingly used to facilitate domestic and family violence and organised crime

Under reforms being introduced to NSW Parliament today, it will become a criminal offence to covertly monitor a person where the victim is unaware they are being stalked.

The existing offence of stalking requires the victim survivor to fear physical or mental harm, a threshold which cannot be met if the perpetrator successfully conceals their conduct.

The new offence under the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 will cover covert stalking which would reasonably be considered to cause someone to fear physical or mental harm if they were aware of it.

This is a carefully crafted, targeted offence which will not criminalise parents tracking their child’s social media for safety purposes or following someone on social media out of genuine interest.

Project Hakea initially set out to look at how tracking devices were being used by organised crime networks.

But it quickly became clear they were also being widely used by domestic and family violence perpetrators to stalk, intimidate, monitor and harass victims.

Notably, between 2010 and 2023, 82 per cent of offenders charged by the NSW Police Force with unlawfully using a tracking device were committing domestic violence offences.

Location tracking is often just one part of a broader pattern of controlling behaviour within a relationship, and it can pose serious risks to both the physical safety and mental health of victims.

The legislation being introduced today will also make it an offence to direct a third party to engage in stalking on someone’s behalf or promote the unlawful use of a surveillance device.

It follows the NSW Crime Commission’s Project Hakea finding some private investigators and ‘spy stores’ promote the illegal use of surveillance devices and offer illegal surveillance services.

A new offence under the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 ensures someone can be prosecuted for advertising a device in a way which encourages its unlawful use, even if this is not what the supplier intended.

The supply of a surveillance device with the intention of unlawful use is already banned.

The Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 is another example of the Government’s measures to hold domestic violence offenders to account and protect victim survivors including:

Making it harder for those accused of serious domestic violence offences to get bail and ensuring those who are bailed are electronically monitored by Corrective Services NSW.
Strengthening penalties for serious, repeat breaches of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
Bringing in Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders to allow for the strictest possible supervision and monitoring of high-risk perpetrators.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“The truth is technology is being weaponised against women, and our laws have not kept pace. These reforms change that.

“For the first time, covert stalking through tracking devices will be a criminal offence, giving police the powers they need to intervene and crack down.

“Noone should have to discover they have been monitored for months or years with no legal recourse.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“We are strengthening the law to target offenders who abuse private investigative services or surveillance devices to facilitate stalking.

“This legislation closes gaps in the law identified by the NSW Crime Commission.

“It makes it easier to hold criminals who use tracking devices to facilitate organised crime and domestic and family violence to account.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

“Domestic and family violence is a blight on our society and we will not stand for it.

“Project Hakea’s revelations are deeply concerning and demonstrates how abusers use constantly updating technology. In response, the Government is working to close loopholes, strengthen regulations and impose tougher penalties for the misuse of tracking devices.

“We cannot continue down the current trajectory of domestic and family violence. Police are doing everything they can to disrupt and prevent this vile offending and the Government backs them fully.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“The Minns Government is working to build a safer New South Wales for victim survivors of domestic and family violence.

“We know perpetrators find many different ways to exert control over victim-survivors. This includes stalking either through personal investigators or covertly monitoring them through surveillance devices.

“We have already criminalised coercive control and these reforms, by closing gaps in the current laws, will be another way we are holding perpetrators to account and increasing protections for victim-survivors.”

NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin said:

“Research shows that the majority of women experiencing domestic and family violence experience some form of technology-facilitated abuse. This often includes the use of tracking and surveillance devices as a tool of control and coercion.

“The NSW Crime Commission found that one in four people who purchased GPS tracking devices had a criminal history of domestic and family violence. The true number is likely to be much higher, given that this crime is significantly underreported.

“This reform sends an important message that the use of tracking and surveillance devices to facilitate domestic and family violence will not be tolerated. It is an important step to prevent technology-facilitated abuse and support victim survivors.”

Original article here

WHY THE NSW GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING CRITICAL DV SERVICES

ABC North Coast Breakfast Bridie Tanner interview with Nadia Graham, PSA Organiser

21 MAY 2026

A FRAGMENTED, UNDER-RESOURCED DV SYSTEM NEEDS GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT

ABC Sydney 702 Kathryn Robinson interview with Troy Wright, PSA Assistant General Secretary

19 MAY 2026

The domestic violence victim who was promised help that never came

The Sydney Morning Herald, 05 May 2026 by Jordan Baker

When the man who later killed her was granted bail on domestic violence charges in April 2024, Ticehurst was assured help from a state government program called Staying Home Leaving Violence, which was designed to make it easier for domestic violence victims to remain safely in their homes.

She was promised lights, cameras and window security screens for her Forbes home via Housing Plus, a third-party tenancy and property management provider contracted by the government. The upgrades never happened. Billings broke through her bedroom window and stabbed her 15 times.

There is no way of knowing if the security measures could have saved her.

But it is the sort of lapse that a Public Service Association campaign believes shows outsourcing has gone too far, and family violence services should instead be delivered as a core government function alongside policing, housing, health and child protection. “When safety is outsourced, accountability is outsourced,” PSA general secretary Stewart Little said. “A domestic violence response should never depend on whether a contractor turns up.”

Of course, the union would benefit from domestic violence services being brought under direct state control as it represents public sector workers.

Nevertheless, the PSA proposal is worth consideration. Molly Ticehurst’s outsourcing experience exposes a wider problem: despite the hard work and experience of many good staff, support for women and children dealing with violence is patchy, varies wildly depending on location, and is propped up by a vast array of providers who have to compete for a limited pool of funds and spend a huge amount of time lodging repeated funding applications.

Frontline services remain critically underfunded and have not had a baseline increase for a decade. About 38,000 incidents of domestic and family violence-related assaults are recorded annually, and Domestic Violence NSW’s 2025 Stretched Beyond Demand report shows specialist domestic and family violence services are collapsing under the weight.

In response to Molly Ticehurst’s death the NSW government launched a review of the state’s bail conditions for alleged domestic violence perpetrators, and announced alleged perpetrators charged with serious domestic violence offences would wear ankle bracelets and have movements tracked around the clock if granted bail. But such reforms are not enough.

The system’s tragic failure to protect Molly Ticehurst illustrates the yawning operational gaps in the state’s protection of women and families.

Too many women and children are still living in fear. Dealing with such an entrenched problem will require carefully calibrated policies, sustained investment across many layers of government and a willingness to consider significant changes to the way domestic violence services are delivered if those changes will benefit victims.

Read the full article (paywall)

The Wire – PSA backs push for state domestic violence body

The Wire – 6th May 2026

In New South Wales there is a push for a state domestic violence body that would coordinate services to ensure a better response to the scourge of domestic violence. Currently, in Australia there are over 120,000 domestic violence assaults each year with two women killed every week, which has led to a push to examine different approaches to reduce this appalling statistic.

According the Public Service Association the current system is a patchwork system leading to domestic violence victims missing out on vital support. Stephen Hill talks to domestic survivors and case workers to query what can be done to improve the state’s response to the scourge of domestic violence.