Australia’s Violence Commission Calls for Earlier Intervention in New Report

Australia’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission says current effort and investment are not delivering change at the impact or pace needed. The commission’s third yearly report, informed by about 1,000 people, services, researchers and advocates, makes eight recommendations, including earlier intervention, co-design and stronger monitoring and accountability. It says police-recorded sexual-violence reports rose 64% over 15 years, reached their highest level since national recording began 33 years ago in 2024, then fell by less than 1% in the past year. Almost six in ten recorded sexual assaults occur outside family and intimate-partner relationships, while the report also identifies harms linked to family-law and justice systems as requiring sustained attention.