- Today, statewide legislation takes effect requiring courts and the Prisoners Review Board to mandate electronic monitoring
- Focus on repeat and high-risk family violence offenders who are on bail or otherwise supervised in the community
- Tough measures will be complemented by tough new penalties for a range of breaches
Strict new laws are now in place to ensure perpetrators of family and domestic violence are monitored electronically.
Under the Cook Labor government's tough new laws, offenders will be tracked using electronic monitoring (EM) across bail, sentencing, probation and post-sentence monitoring.
The nation's leading reforms force courts and the Prisoners Review Board to impose EM on repeat and high-risk family violence offenders who are on bail or otherwise supervised in the community.
It is estimated that the reforms will apply to around 550 offenders in their first year of operation.
Family violence perpetrators arrested include:
- who was subject to a Family Violence Restraining Order (FVRO) and was subsequently charged or convicted of another family violence crime;
- Individuals charged with or convicted of a family violence offense and subject to a Family Violent Perpetrator Declaration; And
- who are subject to an FVRO and are released from prison pursuant to an early release order or a post-sentence supervision order for a family violence offense.
Failure to carry an approved EM device, failing to allow the installation of an approved EM device at the offender's residence or other specified location, failing to charge the approved EM device, or entering a restricted zone without good reason will result in a penalty of up to 50%, punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $36,000.
As Prime Minister Roger Cook explained:
“My government is committed to eliminating gender-based violence. We have made record investments in the prevention of family and domestic violence and introduced a range of legislative reforms and initiatives to address the problem.”
“In 2020, we introduced the largest family violence reform package in the state’s history, and today we are building on that.
“From today, repeat and high-risk perpetrators of family violence will be cuffed and monitored so police can respond quickly to breaches.”
“It is up to all of us to end family and domestic violence, and my administration is committed to protecting innocent victims and holding brave perpetrators accountable.”
As Attorney General John Quigley explained:
“The Cook Government has delivered a comprehensive reform of family violence legislation to hold perpetrators to account and protect victims and survivors.
“Let us be clear when it comes to family violence reform and GPS tracking of offenders in Western Australia – under the previous Liberal government, courts did not have the power to require GPS tracking of offenders. They did nothing for eight years.”
“The Cook Labor government is the only government that can be trusted to deliver family violence reform.”
As Police Minister Paul Papalia explained:
“We currently have more frontline police officers in WA than ever before to keep the community safe.
“Serial FDV offenders subject to GPS tracking are monitored 24/7 in real time by Department of Justice personnel at the WA Police State Operations Command Centre.”
“Any breach of an offender’s movement restrictions will result in an immediate alert and officers will respond quickly.”
“These tough new laws are just another weapon the Cook Labor government has deployed to combat the scourge of family and domestic violence.”
As the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Sabine Winton, explained:
“The state Labor government has a long-standing commitment to preventing family and domestic violence, investing more than half a billion dollars since 2017.”
“This is another practical step by our government to ensure that those who choose to use force are held accountable for their unacceptable behavior.”
“We know there is always more that can be done and our government will continue to work hard to improve the safety of victims and survivors.”
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