Changes to Domestic Violence Bill force abusers to pay medical costs
Men who beat women will be forced to pay for medical and psychological costs under amendments made yesterday to laws on domestic violence.
Further amendments could also be made to the Domestic Violence Bill to give counselling to people involved in violence in the home.
Yesterday Senators passed two amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill -- meaning it will have to be debated again by MPs next year causing a slight delay before it becomes law.
One amendment was just technical, but the other will make a person pay for a victim's food, housing, medical or psychological care.
It will come into force under the terms of a protection order -- which bans a man from going to certain areas like the workplace and home to protect a woman from further abuse.
The amendments were agreed yesterday and Government Senate Leader Lynda Milligan-Whyte, who is also Minister for Women's Affairs, said other amendments could be made to the Bill in the future.
She said her Ministry was looking at counselling as well as the future role of the family court.
"We would like to look at it very carefully and come up with a system of counselling that takes into consideration the people affected by domestic violence. It is not that we are against counselling,'' said Sen.
Milligan-Whyte.
The absence for counselling -- especially of the victims -- has been the main criticism from the Progressive Labour Party.
Report from the Senate, Page 3 Senators pass amendments to Domestic Violence Bill the changes will have to be debated in the House of Assembly when it reconvenes in February before the Bill becomes law.
The legislation will broaden the scope of protected persons from married or formerly married to include those in "significant dating relationships'' and increase the area of safety zones, under a Protection Order, to include home, workplace of place of education.
It will also increase the duration of a Protection Order from a maximum of three months to a maximum of 12 months and include psychological abuse as a type of abuse as well as sexual and physical abuse.
