14 December 2024
So far 74 women have been killed in 2024 due to gender-based violence – the highest on record since 2015. The true tally of people murdered due to domestic and family violence is much higher given there is no data collected on the number of children, men and gender diverse identities killed.
With NSW recording the highest rate of murders, CEO of Domestic Violence NSW Delia Donovan reflected:
“These devastating figures highlight an ongoing crisis that demands urgent action – and comprehensive funding across the specialist domestic and family violence sector. Each life lost represents a failure of our systems to protect and support those at risk. We need extensive, intersectional strategies that address not only gender-based violence, but the broader systemic inequalities that create it.”
Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows domestic violence-related assaults are increasing on average by 3.0% per year. Despite the emergency package invested earlier this year, NSW still has one of the lowest per-capita spends on domestic and family violence in Australia.
“We heard our leaders say many times over that this investment was just the first step. It’s critical for us now to move beyond the first step and provide a 50% baseline increase for the specialist domestic and family violence sector. It is unacceptable that our sector is forced to turn away women and children because they are not adequately resourced to respond to this crisis.”
Ending violence costs money but not investing costs lives. Domestic Violence NSW is preparing its budget submission outlining how we can move beyond the “first step” and invest in a sector saving lives.