On the 19th August 2025 the South Australian Government released a report on domestic, family and sexual violence. Details regarding the work of the Commission are provided in a copy of the media release provided below.
“The Government today releases the report of South Australia’s historic Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence and sets out a framework for responding to the report’s recommendations
Royal Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja AO has published the 700-page document With Courage: South Australia’s vision beyond violence and the accompanying Voices report.
The reports are the culmination of a 12-month Royal Commission, including extensive engagement with South Australians impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence.
The main report includes 136 recommendations reflecting the Commission’s comprehensive public consultation, listening sessions, public hearings and submissions.
The 112-page Voices report includes direct quotes from hundreds of people with lived and living experiences, as well as family members and other supporters. To ensure generational reform for South Australia, the report has been structured around key themes including:
- Structural reform focused on creating a cohesive and effective system;
- Increasing the awareness and visibility of domestic, family and sexual violence by investing in workforce, education and the justice system, as well as increasing community awareness;
- Supporting safe help-seeking and access to crisis response;
- Strengthening focus on people who use violence through programs and legislative reform;
- Building holistic supports for survivors that focus on longer-term recovery and healing; and
- Establishing a strong foundation for prevention.
The Royal Commission benefited from the experience of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, cautioning against reactive implementation in favour of a considered and resourced implementation plan.
To ensure the broad suite of recommendations can be properly considered and addressed, the State Government has immediately accepted the following recommendations to be pursued within recommended timeframes:
1: The establishment of a standalone ministerial portfolio for domestic, family and sexual violence;
2: The establishment of a Government Steward;
4: The Senior Leadership Committee (of South Australian Government Chief Executives) develop an implementation plan for consideration by Cabinet;
5: Requiring performance agreements for Chief Executives to include achievement of the actions and impact identified in the Implementation Plan;
6: Develop a five year statewide domestic, family and sexual violence strategy;
7 & 8: Establish separate Lived Experience Advisory Networks for adults and children, with a smaller group providing advice and expertise to the Minister.
The South Australia Government established the Royal Commission after the horrific murder of four women in South Australia in one week in November 2023.
The Royal Commission adds to the considerable suite of reforms already in train by the Government, including legislating to criminalise coercive control, establishing two new domestic violence prevention and recovery hubs, ringfencing a proportion of public housing for women escaping violence, and legislating to require high-risk domestic violence defendants to be electronically monitored on home detention bail.”
No mention of the murders or abuse of men … colour me surprised.
Here is a link to the final report, including submissions, an Issues Paper, and here is a link to the Commission’s 136 recommendations.
As noted earlier, the Royal Commission was headed up by former politician and outspoken feminist Natasha Stott Despoja. Some relevant background regarding Natasha previous work in the field of domestic violence can be found in the sources listed below:
‘Our Watch’: Just how heartless (or deeply in denial) can people be?
A 2013 letter from Greg Canning to Natasha Stott Despoja, and which to my knowledge was never answered.
The egalitarian lobby group known as the One in Three Campaign made the following observations regarding the work of the Commission. But first, he is a copy of their original submission to the Royal Commission (dated 27 August 2024).
1.“There is a single recommendation (out of 136) that may assist male victims of family violence. Recommendation 59 asks that, “The South Australian government provide an increase in ongoing funding to the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, with a view to further enhancing the scheme’s statewide accessibility and reach through the introduction of additional service delivery partners, aimed at improving accessibility and inclusivity for all applicants, including male victim-survivors.”
2. “Great to see this in today’s Advertiser! Not only were 1IN3 not asked to appear at the RC, our submission wasn’t even read. No other male organisations were asked to appear or consulted with. It’s unlikely anything will change with the dismal service provision for male victims.”
More to come after I have found the time to review the report in more detail.