YWCA Canberra has condemned the ACT government’s decision to abandon plans for electronic monitoring of high-risk domestic and family violence offenders, accusing it of putting cost pressures ahead of women’s safety.

The government has decided not to proceed with the proposed monitoring system, estimated to cost $4 million a year, despite previously consulting the women’s safety sector on its design and operation.

YWCA Canberra CEO Frances Crimmins says the decision was revealed in a June 12 Legislative Assembly speech in which the relevant minister cited “significant cost pressures” and “competing priorities”.

“Despite consulting with the women’s safety sector on the design and operation of local electronic monitoring, it was left to the Canberra Times to expose the decision to no longer proceed in an otherwise buried speech to the Legislative Assembly on the 12th of June where the relevant Minister lamented the ‘significant cost pressures’ and ‘competing priorities’,” Crimmins says.

The organisation says electronic monitoring of high-risk domestic and family violence offenders on bail is available in every other Australian state and territory.

YWCA Canberra says the decision comes more than two years after the ACT joined a National Cabinet commitment to strengthen perpetrator accountability and more than a year after the sector was consulted on the proposed system.

Crimmins says abandoning the scheme sends a damaging message to victim-survivors about the government’s commitment to their safety.

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