Victorian Labor to create new family violence offences and increase rape penalties
Victorian Labor will introduce two new criminal offences. These target family violence cases that let perpetrators escape punishment.
A re-elected Victorian Labor will create two new offences to close gaps in family violence law. The first covers cases where someone takes their own life due to family violence.
The second targets perpetrators who abandon an injured victim, following coroner recommendations after Belinda Jones and Narelle Simmons died. Jones died after her partner left her overnight.
He waited two hours before calling an ambulance. Simmons was assaulted and abandoned.
The government will also increase rape's maximum penalty from 25 years to life. It will double the maximum penalty for breaking protection orders from 5 to 10 years.
It will raise the standard sentence for murdering a current or former partner from 25 to 30 years.
- From 25 years maximum to life imprisonment
- Rape penalty increase
- Liberty Sanger, state coroner Victoria
- Coroner
Why it mattersThese offences close loopholes that have let abusers avoid prosecution. Stiffer rape penalties signal that sexual violence carries serious consequences.
AustraliaVictoria's new laws will set a benchmark for family violence prosecution across Australia and may influence other states to strengthen their own protections.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 d ago
