Responding to Family Violence during COVID-19

Responding to family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic creates unique challenges.

Both victim/survivors of violence, including children and adolescents, and perpetrators who want to change their behaviour are likely to find it difficult to get access to appropriate and timely support.

Police, courts, lawyers, and family violence service providers may have to modify their practices to ensure people get the help they need.

Join this panel of experts to be part of a wide-ranging exploration of emerging problems and possible solutions in the area of family violence.

The panel brings their extensive experiences in family violence to explore issues such as the impact of COVID-19 on adolescents, migrant and refugee women, and on people who provide support to those in need.

Unique insights into the effect on courts and policing will be provided by Deputy Chief Magistrate Felicity Broughton and Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter.

Speakers

Felicity Broughton

Deputy Chief Magistrate

Felicity was appointed a Victorian Magistrate in January 2000 and has been a Deputy Chief Magistrate since 2007.

Felicity is currently Supervising Magistrate for the Magistrates’ Court Family Violence and Family Law Portfolio having been appointed in August 2011 and is principally involved in the implementation of the Royal Commission into Family Violence recommendations at the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.

Felicity was Supervising Magistrate for the court’s sexual assault portfolio from 2006 to 2012 and for the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal from 2001 to 2004. Felicity represents the Magistrates’ Court on numerous committees, forums, consultations and public speaking events in relation to family violence, and is currently a member of the Victims of Crime Consultative Committee.

Dean McWhirter

Assistant Commissioner, Victoria Police

Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter has had a diverse career during his 38 years in Victoria Police, including operational, investigation and corporate supervisory roles.

In March 2015, Dean was appointed as Assistant Commissioner of the Family Violence Command. The Command is responsible for Victoria Police’s strategy, policy and best practice relating to family violence, sexual offences and child abuse, and is the first of its kind in any policing jurisdiction in Australia. The Command works collaboratively with community, government and sector stakeholders to improve our collective responses to these issues.

Dean is an advocate for victim welfare and as a result, has overseen the production of several support and education materials regarding sexual assault and child abuse.

Dean was Chair of the National Working Group that delivered the operational outcomes of the National Domestic Order Scheme and is currently the chair of the National Personal Protection Injunctions Working Group looking at the introduction of a family violence intervention order for the Family Court.

Alison Macdonald

CEO, Domestic Violence Victoria

Alison Macdonald is currently the Acting CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria (DV Vic) and has worked with DV Vic for 13-years. DV Vic is the peak body for specialist family violence services in Victoria that provide support to victim-survivors to live free from violence. With a career primarily focussed on women’s rights, health and equality, Alison has previously worked in the sexual and reproductive health, international development and community housing fields.

The Hon. Marcia Neave AO

Emeritus Professor, Monash University

The Hon. Marcia Neave AO has had a career as a judge, lawyer, academic and public policy maker.

From February 2015 to March 2016, she was the chair of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. That Royal Commission was entrusted with the task of making recommendations regarding the family violence support system and justice system in Victoria, including government and non-government organisations, courts, police, corrections and child protection. The Commission’s Report including its 227 recommendations were provided to the Victorian Government on 29 March 2016.

Marcia is also President of Court Network, which provides volunteers in Victoria and Queensland to support people attending courts and their families and she is also chair of the Judicial Advisory Group on Family Violence.

Dr Becky Batagol

Associate Professor, Monash University

Becky Batagol is an Associate Professor of Law, currently co-appointed across the Faculty of Law and Monash Sustainable Development Institute. Becky is co-covenor of the Feminist Legal Study Group and is the gender lead at Monash Sustainable Development Institute. She has current research projects on specialist family violence courts, economic abuse and water companies and gender and empowerment in informal settlements in Fiji and Indonesia.

Dr Marie Segrave

Associate Professor, Monash University

Marie Segrave is an Associate Professor in Criminology at Monash University. She works with the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, and the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre. Her research is focused on the intersections of migration, borders, exploitation and abuse. She has published widely on trafficking and slavery-related offences in this context, as well as family and domestic violence in the context of temporary migration.

Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon

Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University

Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon is Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the Faculty of Arts at Monash University. Kate conducts research in the field of family violence, femicide and the impact of criminal law reform in Australia and internationally. Kate has advised on homicide law reform, family violence and youth justice reviews in several Australian and international jurisdictions. In 2016 she was appointed to the Special Minister's Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator's Interventions and in 2018 she was appointed to the inaugural Board of Directors of Respect Victoria.

Josh Smith

Deputy Secretary, Aboriginal Justice, Department of Justice and Community Safety.

Josh Smith is a Dunghutti man from the Macleay Valley Coast in northern NSW and is currently Deputy Secretary, Aboriginal Justice with the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

After practising law as a solicitor for the NSW Crown Solicitors Office and at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Josh has held executive positions within the Victorian public service across family violence, health and human services, justice and Aboriginal Affairs portfolios.

Josh is a passionate Aboriginal community member and has advocated for better outcomes for Koories through policy development and enhanced Aboriginal self-determination.

Contact us

Name: Elly Mitchell

E-Mail: elly.mitchell@monash.edu

Phone: 03 9905 5631