Canberra's crisis workers have called for a "whole-of-community" response to the scourge of family and domestic violence, while urging the ACT government to swiftly implement much-needed systemic reforms to help victims of abuse.
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Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT executive director Mirjana Wilson said three significant reports into the territory's response to family violence, released on Friday, drove home remarkably similar themes when it came to gaps in the ACT's approach.
"They each highlight the need to collaborate, the need to integrate, the need to share information and keep accurate records and the need for a whole-of-government response," Ms Wilson said.
"As a frontline specialist service provider I'll be waiting in anticipation to see which of the recommendations are implemented and how and I would call on the government to provide tangible timeframes so we can actually start implementing some of these recommendations."
Ms Wilson, who worked closely on the review into domestic and family violence deaths, said many of the 11 victims examined did not reach out to a crisis service before they died – a finding which highlighted a desperate need for education and training across a range of sectors.
"There are other touch points in the system, the health system in particular, where people don't feel either confident enough or they're not aware enough, or they're not resourced, to deal with it or to refer it on."
The review also revealed "an interesting lack of understanding" that domestic violence was not just about physical violence, which drastically impacted the ability of victims, loved ones and service providers to identify, report or pick up on abuse, Ms Wilson said.
It showed a need for targeted awareness-raising to show domestic violence referred to "a whole range of coercive, controlling behaviours" that were complex and not limited to physical abuse.
"Our criminal justice system is geared to recognise physical violence, sexual violence, property damage, as opposed to economic abuse or emotional and psychological trauma.
"Even with domestic violence orders you actually have to prove a risk to physical safety, or of harm to your pets, or property damage. What we've learned in the death review is it's a much deeper story.
"For those people whose lives were cut short in that first act of physical violence – there were signs and they and the people around them didn't recognise them."
Beryl Women's Refuge manager Robyn Martin said the death review cases revealed significant gaps in information-sharing between services.
"Some of those cases had numerous services involved and no-one was talking to each other.
"It showed some real systemic issues around communication and passing on information between services that might have saved some of those lives."
Ms Wilson said the fact the review singled out the Australian Public Service, Canberra's largest employer, as an integral player in combating violence should shatter tightly-held misconceptions about who was affected.
"I think one of the myths that still exists is that domestic violence happens to people 'over there', or people from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
"It knows no bounds, socially, economically, culturally. It affects all people.
"I would hope the report would work toward debunking that myth in the ACT and showing it's not up to DVCS, or police, or the government to fix, this is a whole-of-community issue."
Ms Wilson said the reports could act as a wake-up call for people experiencing domestic violence, or family, friends or colleagues who suspected someone they knew was a victim, to reach out for help.
"If you're having difficulties in your relationship that don't feel OK, whether you're experiencing physical violence or not, whether you're walking on eggshells, you feel like you don't have an equal say, you're being told what to do.
"If it feels difficult, hard or scary, I would encourage them to give us a call to talk that through. You don't have to wait to be physically hurt."
Phone the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 24-hour crisis line on 6280 0900.
