The mother of Mackenzie Anderson, the 21-year-old allegedly murdered by her former partner at Mayfield, has called for a review into how domestic violence offences are punished.
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Tabitha Acret, who has also backed calls for a Royal Commission into domestic violence, said longer jail terms needed to be coupled with a greater emphasis on rehabilitation.
"I'm not an advocate for unrealistic punishment but I do believe there needs to be stricter punishments and longer time in jail for some of these offences," she said.
"I also believe there should be intensive counselling and programs when they're in there. We can't shut someone in jail and just expect them to come out better.
"We really need to be looking at how we rehabilitate these men in the very beginning, at the very first offence like we do with drunk driving."
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research statistics show the Hunter Region, excluding Newcastle, has 1.5 times the state average of domestic violence assault incidents.
The number of incidents has increased by 20 per cent in the last two years alone.
Ms Anderson was stabbed to death at a Crebert Street unit on the night of March 25, 2022.
Her former partner, Tyrone Thompson, has pleaded not guilty to her murder and is due to stand trial next year.
Ms Acret questioned why politicians were so quick to act in relation to alcohol-related violence around licensed premises, but they appeared to be stalling when it came to domestic violence.
"I agree with what they did when it came to lockout laws in relation to the one-punch assaults and everything that happened. But there were only four deaths and they acted so quickly.
"How come they could do that in a week, but four women are dying each week from domestic violence and nothing has happened?"
She agreed with comments from NSW Women's Safety Commissioner, Hannah Tonkin who warned on the weekend that easy access to pornography and extreme online misogyny were fuelling harmful attitudes to relationships.
Ms Tonkin said while efforts to reform police, justice and welfare responses need to be accelerated, significant cultural change was also needed.
"I think young boys have unrealistic expectations of what sex is and I think girls are being shown unrealistic expectations about how they should expect to be treated," Ms Acret said.
"Also the way that social media allows people to speak about someone without consequences is a huge issue."
At the same time, cuts to spending on education and mental health were making working against the efforts of those working for change.
"If they don't think that is going to play out in every aspect of society they are crazy," she said.
"As much as I want punishment for when these terrible crimes happen and for it to be appropriate, I would prefer to prevent it.
"At the end of the day we failed these men along the way as well. We have to look at that too, where have we failed them?"
Many carried signs that read, "enough is enough", "stop killing us', and "not all men but all women".
Hunter Workers, which represents the region's union movement, has also backed calls for a Royal Commission into domestic violence.
"This is a major issue in our community. We would support any moves from the government that will have tangible results or outcomes in this space," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears who attended the rally said.
Hunter Workers has backed a Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre submission that calls for an increase in funding for programs and support services in the state budget.
Mr Shears said it was important for men to be seen proactively supporting efforts to stop violence against women.
"Generally speaking, men don't see it as their role in being allies or in attending these events and listening," he said.
"One of the things that I'm encouraging among men is that we need to listen and we need to be seen because it makes a significant difference to the likelihood of change."
He said there needed to be more information about domestic violence and its effects in the community.
"I think the media has a significant role to play in prioritising the reporting of domestic violence," he said.
"If domestic violence was treated in the same way as a terrorist attack it would be frontline news for weeks. It would be discussed and debated in all sorts of forums."
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
