A former police officer with 30 years of experience and a leading criminologist has unveiled his no-nonsense solutions to Australia’s domestic violence epidemic.
Dr. Vincent Hurley, who was a NSW police officer and negotiator for 30 years, is a senior lecturer in policing at Macquarie University in Sydney.
He, like millions of Australians, has become increasingly fed up with the government’s inaction in tackling the country’s domestic violence crisis.
The number of women murdered by an intimate partner, all of whom were male, spiked by almost 30 percent in 2022-2023 compared to the previous year.
Earlier this week, the Albanian government announced an investment of $925 million to establish the Leaving Violence Program over the next five years.
Women fleeing abusive or abusive relationships will receive a $5,000 benefit as part of the package.
Those who qualify will receive $1,500 in cash and another $3,500 from goods and services, which will be indexed in coming years.
Federal, state and territory police ministers, as well as attorneys general, will work to improve police responses to high-risk or serial perpetrators of violence against women.
The national cabinet agreed to increased information sharing between jurisdictions about perpetrators.
Meanwhile, a new online advertising campaign that challenges misogynistic stereotypes perpetuated on the internet will be rolled out from mid-June to May 2025.
But Dr. Hurley says more is needed.
He shared his recommendations on how to better support and even rescue victims of domestic violence, and his powerful message to young women in Australia.
Dr. Vincent Hurley, who was a NSW police officer and negotiator for 30 years, is a senior lecturer in policing at Macquarie University in Sydney
Bail conditions
Dr. Hurley said bail should be ‘denied outright’ for perpetrators of domestic abuse so their victims can get vital respite after an offence.
He admitted there was little police could do to keep perpetrators behind bars, with magistrates often failing to meet the standards for refusing bail.
“If I were to arrest you for theft, I have to make sure there are certain elements of that crime before I can actually arrest you,” he said.
‘But that is not the case with domestic violence. I used to be able to arrest someone for domestic violence on the slightest bit of evidence.”
When Dr. Hurley first joined the force in 1981, offenders who committed armed robberies were commonly denied bail due to the risk of further violence.
“We now have a case that is worse than armed robbery because women are being murdered but they are entitled to bail,” he said.
‘So when it does go to court, the magistrates generally look at the circumstances and the perpetrator’s lawyer will argue for bail.
‘Generally they are granted bail because the magistrates consider the freedom of the person much more important than the threat to society or to the victim.’
Financing frontline services
Dr. Hurley said the Albanian government had announced new funding for domestic violence as a political strategy to secure his re-election.
“Funding is always based solely on the election cycle,” he said.
“I may be wrong, and by the time the second elections take place this will all be tragically forgotten, but I think the Albanians [domestic violence] If he gets funding now, he will be re-elected.”
Dr. Hurley said women who escaped violence were often left with nothing.
“I went with my mother to a women’s shelter in Sydney’s western suburbs to donate clothes to the public,” he said.
‘How can that be right? Not only do the women have to suffer the humiliation of fleeing a violent pr***, they also have the humiliation of wearing second-hand clothes, which is humiliating for the women.
‘These women’s shelters and other independent women’s groups have to finance a large part of their services themselves. There is no government support.
“That’s just outrageous.”
Dr. Hurley said state and federal governments should invest more in frontline services rather than pouring money into an expensive royal commission.
Royal Commission
Dr. Hurley said a royal commission into Australia’s domestic violence crisis would be a “waste of time” and millions of dollars could be better spent on services.
“I think the reason why the politicians probably don’t want a royal commission is because it will focus too much attention on them and their shortcomings,” he said.
‘It will cost millions and millions and millions. How many extra beds, rehabilitation, how many extra nurses could you buy with that, how many extra psychologists or psychiatrists could that help finance?’
Social media
Dr. Hurley said domestic violence has been happening for decades before the existence of social media and worries that the government is focusing too much on online abuse.
“As social media comes into play, I worry that the focus will be more on social media than on literally helping women escape domestic violence,” he said.
‘I’m sure that social influences and being online certainly contribute to that. As a parent I don’t doubt that for a moment.’
Role of education
Dr. Hurley said schools are the only communal place where young people come together, but teachers should not be expected to teach respectful relationships.
“We might as well call them social workers,” he said.
‘Trying to correct behavior, trying to prevent parents from abusing teachers because their son is misbehaving, or abusing the teacher because the school is not meeting parents’ expectations, how can you expect an education system to deal with this?
‘I’m not sure what the answer is because unfortunately school is the only common element for young children as they grow up.
“It’s the only really stable thing in their lives.”
Politicians on another planet
Dr. Hurley said politicians charged with tackling Australia’s gender-based violence crisis were mainly “white privileged men” who had no first-hand experience.
He said lawmakers were responding to anger that had existed in society for decades, and long before he worked as a police officer in the 1980s.
“The politicians and the legal fraternity are not putting it in terms of its humanity,” he said.
‘If it were to happen to them, they would have the financial resources to throw anything and everything at the victim’s children or grandchildren, but the ordinary gambler on the street does not have that.’
His message to young women
Dr. Hurley encouraged women to look at the cycle of violence, in which couples repeat a honeymoon phase, a period of tension and then a violent outburst.
“The longer they’re in that relationship, the harder it’s going to be,” he said.
“There is never an easy time to leave, but they have to leave, however long that takes, because everyone is different in the way they process trauma.
“But when they leave, they should try to take a good look at it. If I don’t leave now and I’m still here in six months or a year, will things get better?
‘It’s a bit of a reality check.
‘But it should never be about why didn’t the woman leave? Didn’t she know? That ignores how difficult this is for women. It’s not a women’s problem.’