This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Reclassify patterned Domestic Violence as distinct from repeated Common Assault
In patterned domestic violence cases that are treated as isolated instances of common assault, victims must come forward within 6 months or go without justice. Patterned DV must not be classified as Common Assault and, as such, the 6-month prosecution limit must be removed from patterned DV cases.
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Current legislation affords abusers unjust protections against conviction. It is well known and widely accepted that victims of domestic violence may not come forward for many reasons. Abusers who have abused in a frequent or patterned manner over a period of time are protected from being charged if their victim does not come forward within 6 months. This is detrimental to the mental health of victims, denies victims justice, and undermines the protection and advocacy that victims deserve.
This petition was rejected
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