Domestic violence workers are now located in police stations in NSW. Photo: NSW Police.
The Deniliquin Police Station now has a service that supports victims of domestic violence navigate complex court and legal processes.
The Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVAS) and NSW Police have been piloting a project in which specialist support workers are available at police stations to provide help to victims.
The service is already available in Albury and will be expanded to Deniliquin, where support will be available via audio visual link. The initiative aims to improve the experience of victim-survivors who attend police stations, increase the number of victims who report to police, and streamline their access to safety and support.
Kirrilly Salvestro, the Griffith-based CEO of broad-based support service Linking Communities Network Ltd called this a game changer.
“This opportunity for victim survivors to get AVL support from specialist domestic violence practitioners in a timely manner can mean the difference between following through with an often-traumatic process to have perpetrators held to account,” Mrs Salvestro said.
“The support from NSW Police and WDVCAS will be a game changer in some lives and increase awareness and services available to women survivors of domestic and family violence.”
Murray River Police District Chief Inspector Paul Huggett said this provided additional specialist help in addition to NSW Police domestic violence liaison officers.
“We know domestic and family violence is a very complex and sensitive issue in our community. This program has been running since February and this additional support from the Women’s Domestic Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) has assisted women break the cycle of domestic and family violence,” Chief Inspector Huggett said.
“We are encouraging any women over the age of 16 who need to report domestic and family violence, to know they can access this important specialist service at their local police station in Deniliquin.”
The service is available for women aged over 16 seeking support and is available from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm.
Since January 2024, a face-to-face service from the Women’s Domestic Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) has been available at Albury Police Station.
