Over 650 individuals were charged and 1,153 charges were laid during a four-day police operation aimed at tackling dangerous domestic violence offenders in New South Wales, Australia. The operation, known as “Operation Amarok,” was conducted by the police and resulted in the apprehension of 164 of the state’s most wanted domestic violence offenders, many of whom had breached court-issued protection orders or had outstanding warrants for their arrest. During the operation, police also seized illegal items such as guns, a sword, and drugs.
Australia has a significant domestic violence issue, with police spending more time responding to this crime than any other. One in five Australians report experiencing physical or sexual domestic violence from age 15, according to the most recent national statistics. The violence is most commonly perpetuated against women by men. The United Nations has called the situation “disturbingly common,” but experts say that it is not unique among developed nations.
The new strategy by the police to target high-risk offenders aims to prevent violence from escalating to homicide. In 2021, NSW police responded to 17 domestic violence murders alone.
Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that the new strategy would stop violence before it reached its worst outcome. He added that some of those charged were individuals who had been hard to find, avoiding the police, and the operation was a big concerted effort to apprehend them.
One of the individuals charged was a 22-year-old man who police allege choked his partner until she blacked out during an argument. Another was a 51-year-old man who was charged with stalking a woman and fitting a tracking device to her car. The police also seized registered firearms from his home, and his gun license is now under review. Additionally, two individuals were arrested on robbery offenses after police seized two daggers, a double-edged sword, and metal knuckles from another property.
