Five suspected domestic violence deaths in New South Wales this month underscore the brutal cost of a system designed to deny collective resources to those who need them most. In four of these cases, police confirmed the alleged offenders were not known to them, a stark indicator of systemic neglect. A one-year-old child, stabbed in the Blue Mountains, also died in hospital this month, adding to the grim toll of privatized care.
Over 38,800 domestic violence-related assaults were recorded in the 12 months leading up to June 26, marking a 3.4 percent increase over the past decade. This escalating violence disproportionately impacts the working class, who lack access to essential support. Since 2000, Domestic Violence Death Review Team data shows 351 women, 230 men, and 137 children have been killed in domestic violence-related homicides across NSW. This year alone, 52 women have been killed.
Macquarie University criminologist Vince Hurley, a former police detective, stated that "probably 75 per cent, if not more, of domestic violence offenders are not known by police." He highlighted how information, often held by health officials like hospitals or GPs, is not shared with law enforcement due to privacy regulations. Hurley noted, "It's impossible to police what you don't know."
Who Pays the Price
Hurley's research identifies alcohol, drugs, and mental health as key underlying issues contributing to offending. He pointed directly to the class barrier in accessing mental health services. "Most people who are wealthy might be able to afford to make a psychologist appointment and pay $300 an hour," he explained. "But for the bulk of the population, particularly in low socio-economic demographics, that is just not an option to them." The commodification of essential care leaves the working poor without vital support, forcing them into cycles of violence.
Chris Lacey, general manager of the national peak body No to Violence, revealed that a mere 3.6 percent of national domestic violence funding is spent on early intervention. He stated that the current system focuses heavily on helping victim survivors, neglecting crucial investment in engaging men earlier. Lacey called for direct referral pathways from hospitals for men identified as being at risk of committing violence. These services, he stressed, are "very hard to find and very hard to get into." He added, "We need to be filling that massive gap."
Early warning signs, such as heavy drinking or major life events, often emerge during visits to GPs or hospitals, Lacey noted. These moments represent "a critical opportunity to identify the risk that exists and try to intervene before it escalates." However, the fragmented and under-resourced state apparatus consistently misses these opportunities, prioritizing austerity over public safety.
The State's Role in Neglect
NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson chose to emphasize distinguishing antisocial behavior from mental ill health. She argued that failing to do so "may inadvertently diminish the personal responsibility of those who perpetrate violence" and "risks unfairly stigmatising people living with genuine mental ill health." This framing diverts attention from the systemic failures that create the conditions for violence and underfunded services, placing blame on individuals rather than structural issues.
A report tabled in parliament 2 years ago by the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team, which analyzed over 20 years of domestic violence homicides, found two in three women killed were killed by an ex-partner or at the point of separating. The same report found three-quarters of the men who killed a female partner had used three or more different types of domestic violence against her, often controlling rather than physical. These patterns reveal a consistent failure of the state to protect those most vulnerable to repeated violence.
Coercive control became a criminal offence in NSW 2 years ago, in July 2024. Since its criminalization, police have recorded 682 incidents, yet only 42 charges have been laid. This limited enforcement highlights the inadequacy of legal reforms without addressing the deeper structural issues of economic inequality and privatized social services. Nearly half the victims, 47 percent, had a prior history of domestic violence recorded by police, and 31 percent had previously experienced violence involving the same alleged offender, demonstrating the state's repeated failure to intervene effectively.
The Illusion of Reform
Delia Donovan, CEO of Domestic Violence NSW, called for better communication between government departments and for "proper resourcing." She warned, "Without proper resourcing, 'we're not going to touch the sides of it.'" Donovan also observed that society "still doesn't have a society that really understands domestic and family violence, and we still have a society that victim-blames." These calls for improved management and funding within the existing framework fail to challenge the underlying economic structures that perpetuate violence and the systematic underpayment of labor, which denies collective resources to those who need them most, ensuring the cycle continues.