Latest news with #familyViolence
ABC News
16-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
10 more regional Victorian courts to shut doors on non-sitting days
Courts across Victoria are closing to the public on days without scheduled hearings, prompting concerns about access to justice in regional communities. This week another 10 courthouses switched to remote registry services on non-sitting days as part of the third phase of a Magistrates' Court of Victoria (MCV) pilot, which began last year. The latest courts to close to the public on non-sitting days include Bairnsdale, Bacchus Marsh, Benalla, Echuca, Korumburra, Kyneton, Sale, Seymour, Swan Hill and Wangaratta. According to the calendar on the MCV website Wangaratta's courthouse will shut for one to two days a week in August and September. Hume Riverina Community Legal Service principal lawyer Alison Maher said the move could limit access to crucial legal support services, including for victims of family violence. "Courts are a real hub — they're much more than the decision-makers on those sitting days," she said. Ms Maher said the legal service often saw applicants for family violence orders seeking assistance from local court registrars. Court registries are also used to pay fines, set payment plans and for the witnessing of documents. Ms Maher said more than 70 per cent of the service's clients were impacted by family violence in 2023-24. "It is a huge concern, particularly in our region, where we are seeing an increase in the incidents of family violence," she said. Online applications can be made and police can assist but Ms Maher says that can be challenging for victim-survivors. "Many of our clients don't want to go to police, or … prefer to do it themselves," she said. "A lot of our clients and community members don't have access to a phone or a laptop … if they're not able to get online and complete an application then they might go without. "These [changes] might be another barrier to them getting the assistance they need." Ms Maher also raised concerns about a shift towards delivering services remotely or online. "The idea that we can just move services to a remote setting is a fallacy," she said. On non-sitting days the MCV website directs people to the closest open courthouse. For Wangaratta residents that is Shepparton Magistrates' Court, almost 100 kilometres away. "Driving from Wangaratta to Shepparton, which is over an hour on some pretty tricky roads … puts people at a real disadvantage, particularly in regional areas," Ms Maher said. The journey can take several hours on public transport. An MCV spokesperson said people could access support by phoning or emailing the court on non-sitting days. "All phone calls made to magistrates' courts across Victoria are answered by the MCV service centre, which provides administrative support for courts statewide," the spokesperson said. "This process has not changed and was established in 2022." The move to a remote setting will not impact local staff and no changes will be made to existing sitting days. "This model provides the staff with time to prepare listings for future sitting days and do other registry work," the spokesperson said. "On non-sitting days, judicial officers are allocated to other locations within the region to hear court matters within those local communities." Non-sitting days for the remainder of 2025 are listed on the MCV website, along with contact details for remote court services.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Jaguar restoration expert, 81, 'gestured for help' from daughter on CCTV before his grandson, 33, launched fatal attack after all-day drinking session, court told
A 'world-renowned' Jaguar restoration expert was seen pleading for help on a security camera – before he was fatally attacked by his own grandson, a court heard. Jurors were shown 'haunting' footage of John Brown, 81, waving at the camera in his garden - which was 'linked to his daughter', Walpole's mother – before the pensioner went back inside the bungalow. Less than four minutes later, Jakob Walpole, 33, was seen emerging from the two-bedroom property, having allegedly 'set about his own grandfather'. A court heard he then headed to a nearby working men's club, where Mr Brown had been a regular, and assaulted two men – smashing a glass over the back of the head of one of the victims. The court heard Walpole's behaviour towards his family had deteriorated since the pandemic, to the extent that his mother, Lynda Brown, sought a restraining order banning him from a road leading to his grandparents' home. Mrs Brown also installed the cameras at her parents' home - which the court heard would provide 'important evidence' of what went on at the address on the evening of the attack. Prosecutor Michael Duck KC told the jury of seven men and five women that Walpole would frequently turn up 'in drink' at the bungalow where 'frail' Mr Brown lived with his 'bedbound' wife. Jurors were told Mr Brown was well known in his village of Bulkington, Warwickshire, for running a workshop repairing vintage cars, but had recently been diagnosed with dementia. The court heard the assaults took place last November after Walpole had embarked on a near all-day drinking session, starting before 9am when he purchased a bottle of vodka from a local convenience store. Mr Duck said Walpole was 'drinking from a very early stage…and, in effect, continued throughout the day'. The prosecutor said Walpole's 'very significant day of drinking' was punctuated by him attending a Coventry City football match. He then spent two hours in a pub near his grandparents' home before arriving at their bungalow just after 8.30pm. Walpole was let inside, but a short time later his grandfather emerged, waving at the camera. Mr Duck said: 'What's plain is that he was gesturing to the camera. 'The prosecution say he was aware his daughter may see and it was a gesture, a desire for assistance. '(Mr Brown) was a frail man struggling with dementia but it's plain, the prosecution say, that there was a problem. He wanted help.' Mr Brown went back inside his property and four minutes later Walpole walked away from the address. The court heard after leaving the scene Walpole also called his mother and boasted: 'I've hit your Papi', a statement Mr Duck said was 'important because it's the absolute truth'. Warwick Crown Court heard he then headed to the Bulkington Working Men's Club. Jurors were shown footage of drunken Walpole attacking working men's club member Dennis Hopson less than an hour after the attack on Mr Brown. The footage showed Walpole approaching the drinker from behind and smashing a glass over the back of his head. A barman who then attempted to remove Walpole from the premises was also allegedly assaulted. Mr Duck told jurors that in relation to the alleged assault with the glass: 'There can be no suggestion he was acting in self-defence or anything of that sort'. He said: 'These incidents took place on the same day as the attack (on Mr Brown), in fact within an hour of it.' Mr Duck said Walpole 'carried out a vicious assault on his own grandfather' and showed 'no regret or contrition', even telling drinkers in the club that he had 'lamped' the pensioner. Mr Duck told how minutes before the attack on Mr Brown, Walpole's mother had called 999 after becoming 'sufficiently concerned' by footage of her son acting aggressively outside her parents' home. By the time officers attended, it is alleged Walpole had already carried out the attack and fled. Police bodycam footage showed Mr Brown at the door with clear facial injuries. The court heard the pensioner was taken to hospital but over the following days the extent of his injuries became clear. Mr Duck said the blows inflicted by Walpole caused an 'irreversible' bleed on the brain and Mr Brown died in the early hours of November 29 last year. Mr Ducker said that when Walpole was later arrested he told officers to F*** Off. During interview he said he couldn't remember the incident with his grandfather. He was shown footage of the glass attack inside the working men's club but denied responsibility. He then gave further no comment interviews. Mr Duck said Mr Brown was struck more than once, suffering injuries to his face, neck and under his arms. Walpole, Bulkington, denies Mr Brown's murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. He has also pleaded not guilty to breaching a restraining order, assault by beating and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mr Brown was described 'loving husband, father, and grandfather, but also a true gentleman, a pillar of the community, and a world-renowned figure in the Jaguar restoration industry' following his death. His family said in a statement that he was 'a true craftsman, renowned worldwide for his expertise and passion for his work'. He was said to have built and restored 'some of the most iconic Jaguars, including the legendary XK series. 'His reputation in this industry was unmatched—John's attention to detail, his skill, and his dedication to excellence earned him respect and admiration across the globe.' The trial continues.
RNZ News
29-06-2025
- RNZ News
Little change in gender based deaths
life and society crime 9:25 am today A report into deaths from gender based violence from the National Mortality Review Committee has found there's been no significant reduction in the number of victims between 2009 and 2022. NZ Police data shows between 2007 and 2022 a third of the 1,169 homicides in New Zealand were women and more than half were killed by someone in their family. In a effort to get a clear picture of fatal violence against women and children, the update from the Committee has expanded it's scope to include deaths that have not previously been included, such as homicide with no family connection. Dr Nicola Atwool, chair of the Family Violence Death Review expert group, says the new broader approach to examining femicide - the murder of women and girls - includes violence during pregnancy that contributes to deaths of mothers and babies. She joins Kathryn to discuss what's need to try to make a change. · Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 TAUTOKO/0508 828 865 - suicide helpline · Crisisline: 0800 REFUGE/0800 733 843 - 24-hour Women's Refuge national helpline
Globe and Mail
04-06-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
CRTC delays to 911 system upgrades put victims of intimate partner violence at risk, advocates say
The two-year deadline extension for Canada's upgraded 911 emergency response system is sounding alarm bells among advocates who warn that it is increasing safety risks for individuals experiencing violence at home. They say the next generation of Canada's 911 system, known as NG9-1-1, which would allow users to text emergency services rather than call, would offer an additional layer of discretion they believe is crucial for those experiencing intimate partner violence. Police-reported data show that women are overrepresented among victims of this crime. Intimate partner violence is also known as spousal or domestic violence. In 2019, 80 per cent of people who had experienced intimate partner violence did not report it to the police, according to a 2019 statistical profile on family violence by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, which is a division of Statistics Canada. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had set the deadline for all service providers to implement the NG9-1-1 network for March of this year. But in February, the CRTC announced it would extend the deadline by two years - until March 31, 2027. Once the new network is implemented, existing 911 systems will be disconnected. CRTC delays implementation of next-generation 911 service for two years But advocates say the extension is putting women who are subject to intimate partner violence at greater risk. They say it would be safer for individuals in precarious situations to reach out for emergency services via text than having to make a phone call. This is not the first time the CRTC has bumped the deadline. The regulator had already extended the implementation deadline from June 30, 2023 to March 4, 2025. But the origin of NG9-1-1 dates even further back to 2001 when the National Emergency Number Association first laid out its expectations for the new emergency telecommunication system. Mike Wood, a long-time advocate for the 911 reform, said texting 911 instead of calling the service would remove some of the barriers for those reaching out for help when experiencing intimate partner violence. 'If somebody is in a violent situation and they can't speak — like they're in the room with someone — the ability to text 911 could save their life,' Mr. Wood said. In his most recent effort to get the ball rolling on 911 reform, Mr. Wood is meeting with Ontario government officials on Thursday to discuss the implementation of Canada's new 911 system. In addition to reaching 911 services via text, the NG9-1-1 network would allow users to send videos of an accident or provide necessary medical information. According to the CRTC's website, the upgrade would create a faster, safer and more informed emergency response. When asked why the deadline was extended, CRTC spokesperson Megan MacLean explained that first responders and telecommunications providers across the country warned of potential 911 service interruptions because some jurisdictions could not transition in time between the two networks. Ms. MacLean said the regulator heard concerns from several stakeholders regarding the deadline, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada. 'These groups were concerned that Canadians in areas that have not transitioned to NG9-1-1 could lose access to 911 services,' Ms. MacLean said in a statement. 'Given that this would cause an unacceptable risk to public safety, the deadline for the transition to NG9-1-1 was extended to March 2027.' Despite the extension, some Ontario cities such as Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto are implementing the NG9-1-1 system ahead of the deadline. The Toronto Police Service (TPS) implemented the first phase of NG9-1-1 in July of last year to help assist dispatchers discern authentic 911 calls from misdials. The service is set to launch the second phase of NG9-1-1 this year. But there is no timeline for real-time texting and live emergency video call features to be added to the system, according to the TPS website. Ms. MacLean said 911 call centres and telecommunications services providers 'may transition to NG9-1-1 as soon as they are ready.' However, the lack of urgency has increased concerns among experts who argue the option to text is useful for those in precarious situations while reaching out for help. 'Texting would allow a person to be a lot more discreet,' said Suzy Dunn, professor in law and technology at Dalhousie's Schulich School of Law. 'When their partner knows that they've called the police or they're reaching out for help, sometimes that can escalate violence.' Ms. Dunn's research focuses on the way people communicate through technology when they're in situations like intimate partner violence. Despite the lack of research in effectiveness of being able to text 911, Ms. Dunn said just having the option to text would be beneficial to women. 'Someone could pop into the bathroom and make a 911 text. It's a lot more difficult to pop into the bathroom and make a 911 call when your partner could hear you talking on the phone,' Ms. Dunn said. The issue is even more acute in rural and remote communities where emergency services are scarce. Stephanie Melnyk, research and community outreach representative at Rise Women's Legal Centre, said its dangerous for women and gender-diverse people managing their safety 'on a moment-to-moment basis' to pick up the phone and call 911. Mr. Wood, the 911 reform advocate, says it all comes down to lived experiences. He says that's why the general population does not realize the delay is an issue for this group. 'Until they have that lived experience, a lot of people don't know that you just can't text 911.'
News.com.au
04-06-2025
- News.com.au
Former AFL and NRL player charged with attempted murder
A former AFL and NRL rookie, who then became a prominent local footy player in Melbourne, has been charged with attempted murder. The Herald Sun reports 29-year-old Shem Tatupu was charged relating to an alleged family violence matter. He will face Melbourne Magistrates' Court in August for a committal mention hearing, having been arrested and charged before fronting court last month. Separately he has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury and will face Moorabbin Magistrates' Court later in June. Tatupu, from New Zealand, was a category B rookie on Hawthorn's list for three seasons after being picked up in the 2013 draft. He did not play an AFL game instead featuring with the VFL's Box Hill Hawks, before quitting footy due to a lack of passion and defecting to rugby league. Tatupu signed with the Melbourne Storm in 2016 and later that year was hit by a car outside Storm HQ. He did not play an NRL game and returned to local-level Aussie rules.
