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Family violence

Victims of family violence can seek protection via an intervention order. Police can also seek intervention orders without a victim’s consent. Orders can prohibit a variety of actions by a perpetrator. Injunctions or restraining orders also have a role to play. Refuges and Centrelink can all help protect victims.

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Please note this chapter (and pages it links to) contains information about family violence that may be triggering to family violence survivors.

Family violence
Contributor

Renata Alexander

Barrister

Personal safety intervention orders for stalking

Last updated

1 July 2022

Under the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic) (‘PSIO Act’), it is possible to obtain a personal safety intervention order on the balance of probabilities for ‘stalking’ (defined in s 10 PSIO Act).

In such cases, the affected person/applicant and the respondent do not need to be family members.

Stalking is less common in family violence situations; it is more common between neighbours, co-tenants, boarders, lodgers, or acquaintances.

The PSIO Act also covers cyber-stalking. In addition, stalking is a separate criminal offence under section 21A of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic).

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