Changes urged as NT’s ‘shocking’ DV reality exposed

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the names of persons who have died.

A coroner investigating the shocking deaths of four Northern Territory women has been urged to back sweeping changes to curb the scourge of domestic violence.

On Tuesday, counsel-assisting Peggy Dwyer released 30 proposed recommendations for Coroner Elisabeth Armitage to consider ahead of her findings.

The widespread proposals cover funding increases, indexation for the sector and an overhaul of prison programs, while highlighting how Northern Territory government agencies continually missed opportunities to prevent Miss Yunupiŋu, Ngeygo Ragurrk, Kumarn Rubuntja and Kumanjayi Haywood suffering "horrific deaths".

Dwyer opened her recommendations by quoting Rubuntja's plea before her death to "end the violence", and her friend, domestic and family violence researcher Chay Brown.

The pair's advocacy became inseparable as the scourge of domestic and family violence plaguing the region was put under the coroner's microscope.

"I invite all the accountability that this inquest can possibly create, and then some more, so that no more lives are lost," Brown told the coroner through tears in 2023.

During the inquest, the coroner heard at least 83 women had been killed by domestic violence in the Northern Territory since 2000, with more than 90 per cent Indigenous.

In relation to the four women, evidence showed the violence began with coercive control, the deaths involved extreme violence and physical force and that each of the men were known to police for previous violence against women.

However, despite their previous crimes, none were flagged on the NT's prevention program, called the Family Safety Framework.

"These submissions cannot hope to do justice to their lives, or to present those four women as they were in life: vibrant, hopeful, enriched by their Aboriginal cultures and much loved," Dwyer wrote.

After almost a year of hearings however, Dwyer condensed the evidence into eight "shocking" facts.

Domestic homicide in 2021 was seven times higher than the national average and domestic assaults were five times higher than any other jurisdiction.

Aboriginal women in the NT were also 40 times more likely to be hospitalised for domestic violence.

Dwyer said based on evidence provided, domestic violence accounted for 50-80 per cent of NT police's entire workload and was projected to cost $209 million by 2030, almost half of the entire police operating budget.

More than half of men on remand or sentenced in NT jails were there because of domestic violence charges.

"As if these current statistics were not shocking enough, the evidence revealed that the problem is getting worse," she said.

As a result, Dwyer called for the NT to establish and properly fund a peak body for domestic and family violence, like in all other states.

She hailed the success of men's behaviour change programs, but said they too were inadequately funded in both community and prison settings.

She urged the government to invest in those, alongside culturally appropriate supports including translators, peacekeeping and specialist services.

The proposed recommendations come days after a Senate inquiry into Murdered and Missing (disappeared) First Nations Women and Children released its final report, a report Senator Dorinda Cox called "toothless".

Judge Armitage is expected to hand down her findings later this year.

For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

Aboriginal Counselling Services on 0410 539 905

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Lifeline on 13 11 14.