Victorian Labor promises new offences to close domestic and family violence ‘loopholes’

Premier Ben Carroll vows to legislate new form of manslaughter and increase maximum penalty for rape to life imprisonment

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A re-elected Victorian Labor government will create two new Australian-first offences aimed at closing “loopholes” it says have allowed perpetrators of family violence to escape punishment.

On Sunday, the premier, Ben Carroll, will announce an election commitment to legislate a new form of manslaughter covering cases in which a person takes their own life as a result of family violence, as well as a new offence covering perpetrators abandoning a victim in need of medical care.

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