Col Blanch warns surge in domestic violence largely hidden as statistic reveals 70pc of cases go unreported

WA’s top cop has revealed the scourge of domestic violence is still largely hidden, with estimates as much as 70 per cent goes unreported. The startling statistic was revealed in State Parliament, when Police Commissioner Col Blanch and Police Minister Reece Whitby were questioned about the rising rate of family violence during Budget estimates. Mr Blanch revealed 1,139 family violence related assaults was recorded for every 100,000 people in WA in 2024, but he said the real rate is likely much higher. “Of the people that attend the refuges, roughly 20 to 30 per cent are reporting their violent situation incidents with police and many are not,” he said. “One of our strong strategies moving forward is to encourage the remaining 70 per cent to come forward and report that to police in different ways, so we can make family violence better understood by all of us as a community. “But if we’re missing 70 per cent of the reportees that obviously should be of concern to us.” Advocates weren’t surprised and said many victim-survivors are too scared to speak up, due to fears they won’t be believed or protected. “It can be the fear of retaliation by the perpetrator or other consequences like child protection involvement,” Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing chief executive Alison Evans said. “Victim-survivors are too often blamed, not believed and questioned about their behaviour. That is why system reform remains vital in the battle to keep women and children safe.” Domestic Abuse Resource and Training Group founder Jolene Ellat said the wrong response from police or other services can “unintentionally” make things worse. “This highlights the need for ongoing FDV informed expert led training, reflection and systems co-ordination to ensure that police responses are safe, supportive and survivor-centred,” she said. The Cook Government launched a tender process on Tuesday, to establish a new workforce entity to train frontline professionals dealing with family and domestic violence. The $6 million training program is part of a family and domestic violence system reform plan that was announced last year. “This new workforce entity is another step in the Cook Labor Government’s steadfast efforts to prevent family and domestic violence in Western Australia,” Prevention of Family Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski said. “Supporting organisations and workers to have the right knowledge, skills and training is crucial to the State Government’s commitment to ending the scourge of family violence in our community.” Mr Blanch also revealed more than 40 high-risk serious offenders are being managed, and wearing electronic monitors. But he denied police time was being wasted, changing ankle bracelet batteries. “We don’t, as a matter of course, change batteries,” he said. “What we do is a risk assessment. If the Department of corrections says that (it is) having resource issues in particular parts of regional WA, where they may not have resources available in that location for some time. “Most of the time, they will resolve it through their own means and their own resources. We are purely there as a backup. “If a battery runs out or there’s a technical issue and we’re concerned for the victim of that relationship, then we may respond but we will do our risk assessment first, noting that victim safety will always be our priority.”