WA Minister Commits to Cracking Down on Domestic Violence: Coercive Control to Become a Crime

The Western Australian government is intensifying its efforts to combat family and domestic violence, with a commitment to criminalise coercive control during its current term. 

Jessica Stojkovski, the newly appointed Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, said the government was making progress in improving the lives of victims. 

“Every time we open up conversations about family and domestic violence, it’s a good thing,” she said. 

“It shouldn’t be a taboo subject.”

A special series from 9News, Turning Point: Lessons from Floreat, highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence in WA. 

The series featured a distressing emergency call from a nine-year-old child, revealing the realities faced by some young people. 

“My dad hit my mum in the stomach or the head,” the child said in the call. 

“Please hurry, I’m scared.” 

It features a back and forth between the child and the emergency call centre worker, who asked: “You’re under the covers?”

You’ve been sick? – Yeah, I vomited. 

What having to listen to all of that? – I was stressed and crying.

Stojkovski acknowledged the emotional impact of such accounts. 

“It hit quite close to home, if I’m honest. I’ve got a nine-year-old child, so to hear a nine-year-old saying those things,”she said. 

“It was confronting, I’m not going to gloss over it and say these things don’t hurt.”

In response to questions about whether the state is facing a crisis, Stojkovski said “we have started these conversations and these conversations have led to more awareness about family and domestic violence and awareness ultimately leads to more reports of it”.

The impetus for increased scrutiny and reform stems, in part, from the tragic deaths of Jennifer and Gretyl Petelczyc, who were murdered by Mark Bombara in Floreat. 

Ariel Bombara, has since become an advocate for change.

“I just hope we’re on a path to improve life for so many women,” she said.

Stojkovski said there was a lot of work happening to improve the lives of women. 

“It’s not a perfect solution, nothing is in a community, but I think the things that our government has been doing is those incremental steps,” she said.

The criminalisation of coercive control, already legislated in NSW and Queensland, is a key component of the government’s strategy.

However, implementation is being preceded by a public education campaign.

“To be honest most people didn’t know what coercive control was before we started to educate them,” Stojkovski said. 

“We don’t just want to do things for the sake of doing them, we want them to have an impact.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing family or domestic violence, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).