Victorian govt to launch a crackdown against domestic violence

Death of a young Indian woman who was allegedly stabbed to death and then burnt by her abusive husband here last week has prompted Victorian government to launch a crackdown against domestic violence.

According to media reprots here, State Premier Ted Baillieu yesterday announced tougher penalties against abusive partners as a part of an ambitious action plan to weed out violence against women and children.

Baillieu, while paying tribute to the 23 year old Indian woman Sargun Ragi, said "We can't (launch the plan) without reflecting on the unspeakable violence that has been perpetrated [on] women and also children in our own community, particularly in recent weeks.

The plan is supported by over AD 80 million of funding announced in the 2012-13 budget and a further AD 16 million announced last month," he said.

The new plan outlines tougher action against perpetrators of family violence, with a new graduated offences regime for breaches of intervention orders.

Significant breaches of intervention orders would carry a maximum five-year prison term, up from two years. Immediate protection orders issued by police would be extended from three to five days.

"We must build attitudes and cultures of respect between men and women, boys and girls and we have to stop the violence," Baillieu said adding "Violence against women and children is just not acceptable under any circumstance and we all have a responsibility to act to ensure it is not tolerated, that it is never tolerated, not excused and not ignored". Minister for Women's Affairs Mary Wooldridge said the plan aimed to change attitudes before they led to violence.

"We have to look at violence in is totality," she said.

"We have to look at where it starts, such as bullying in schools, we have to look at what happens in workplaces, in our sporting environments, our community activities, and we have to look right through to women who work in the sex industry".

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