- Sentence Administration Amendment (Monitoring Equipment) Bill 2023 passes through Parliament
- Offenders who remove monitoring devices will face imprisonment for a minimum of six months and up to three years
- Existing penalty for removing monitoring equipment has been tripled
Perpetrators who damage, remove or interfere with their GPS monitoring devices will face imprisonment of at least six months following the passage of tough new laws through State Parliament today.
The maximum penalty for damaging, removing or interfering with monitoring equipment has been increased from $12,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment, to $36,000 and three years’ imprisonment.
Late last year, the Cook Government announced that it would introduce legislation to mandate the use of GPS monitoring in certain family violence cases, and increase the relevant penalties for family and domestic violence (FDV) and other offenders.
The passage of laws today gives effect to the penalties component of that announcement.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
“This Government is dedicated to putting the safety of the community first, protecting victims of crime and ensuring perpetrators are held to account.
“We’ve demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing the issue of family and domestic violence since coming to office in 2017, investing more than $300 million in family violence-related measures.
“In September last year, we established a Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce to guide our future response to family and domestic violence.
“We are absolutely committed to addressing the scourge of family and domestic violence in WA, and these tough new penalties build on the many actions my Government has taken to address this issue.”
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“We’ve got on with the job of bringing in laws to protect the community and improve safety.
“Under these laws, we’ve introduced a minimum penalty of imprisonment for anyone who interferes with a GPS tracking device that has been put on.
“The next stage of our reforms, to be progressed this year, will increase the number of offenders who are monitored. It will apply to all serial family violence offenders, and anyone who commits a family violence offence while subject to a family violence restraining order, when they are on bail or a community supervision order.
“It will also apply to all offenders paroled in relation to a family violence offence, where there is a family violence restraining order in place.”
As stated by Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia:
“We are committed to enhancing community safety and these new laws will do just that.
“If offenders who are subject to GPS monitoring can’t adhere to the strict conditions imposed upon them, they don’t deserve to be in the community.
“Family and domestic violence is a nationwide scourge, and these laws will help hold perpetrators to account.”
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Sabine Winton:
“The Cook Government is committed to addressing family and domestic violence, and reducing the harm perpetrators inflict on our community.
“This reform will play a crucial role in breaking the cycle of violence and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
“Our Government will continue to explore every available option to improve safety for those impacted by family and domestic violence.”
