Women were promised a scheme to combat domestic violence - it never happened

And when Jo Cooper tried to get things moving again, she was met with "silence".

In 2023, women in NSW were promised a new tool to help tackle the epidemic of domestic violence but two years on, nothing has happened.

At the last state election, then-premier Dominic Perrottet vowed to implement the Right To Ask Scheme, a domestic violence disclosure scheme (DVDS) allowing individuals to find out if their current or ex-partner had a history of abusive or violent offending.

Praised by multiple domestic violence advocates and organisations, it seemed like a promising step forward – until the NSW Coalition lost and plans for the scheme were seemingly abandoned.

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In the two years since, at least 39 people have died in domestic violence-related homicides in NSW.

Survivor and advocate Jo Cooper believes some of those deaths may have been prevented if victims had access to pertinent information about their partner's criminal history through a DVDS.

"Survivors or people experiencing [domestic violence], they're desperate for it," she said.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au

But when she reached out to politicians, domestic violence organisations and advocacy groups, she claims she was met with silence, "bureaucratic side-steps" or "noncommittal answers". 

Domestic violence organisations were also reluctant to speak about how a DVDS could potentially be implemented in NSW.

Shadow Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Natasha Maclaren-Jones told 9news.com.au the proposal went nowhere because because Labor "did not support the Coalition's commitment to implementing a scheme".

Full Stop Australia and Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW) voiced support for the proposed Right To Ask Scheme in 2023 but both declined to comment for this article.

Women's Legal Service NSW, Women's Legal Service Australia, and NSW Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison MP also declined to comment when contacted.

Frustrated, Cooper started a petition calling for the implementation of such a scheme in NSW before more women die.

The scheme she proposed would be modelled on Clare's Law, a landmark legislation introduced in the UK in 2014 after Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-partner.

Police knew the man had a criminal history but never shared that information with Wood, even after she made a police statement and got a restraining order against him.

After Wood's death in 2009, her father campaigned to change privacy laws so that other women would be able to find out if a partner or ex had a record of violent or abusive behaviour.

He hoped that Clare's Law would help women like his daughter and in 2018, South Australia established a DVDS trial modelled on it.

Seven years on, the SA scheme has seen a 172 per cent increase in applications and more almost 700 applications were lodged in 2024 alone.

An independent review found that 98 per cent of clients found the scheme helpful in making decisions about their personal safety and SA Police Assistant Commissioner Linda Williams told 9News in March she had "no doubt" the scheme saved lives.

Now Cooper wants to see the same for NSW.

"I just want some level of power for individuals. We're always on the back foot," she said.

She was young when an ex became physically abusive.

When she ended the relationship, Cooper alleges he found her at a local shopping centre and forced her into a vehicle.

"He grabbed my wrist, wouldn't let it go, and I kept pleading, I tried to be nice to try and get myself out," she said.

"Long story short, he put his foot on the pedal [and] drove fast enough that when he flung me out, I rolled and was not in a good way."

The police response and experience of getting an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against her ex was equal parts distressing and disappointing, Cooper claims.

"You feel so humiliated. You're pleading for protection like it's a privilege instead of a right," she said.

And domestic violence statistics only seem to be getting worse.

About 2500 reports of domestic violence are made to police every month in NSW, though that figure likely represents less than half of actual crime levels due to underreporting.

Domestic violence-related assault numbers in NSW jumped from more than 32,000 in 2020 to more than 38,000 in 2024, and domestic violence-related murder numbers reached a five-year high last year.

"What we have at the moment isn't working," Cooper said.

"[A DVDS] is not a silver bullet. It's not going to fix the entire system, but we have to start introducing preventative measures rather than being on the reactive side."

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She and other victim-survivors insist a DVDS would help individuals make decisions about their relationships and safety and be vital tool in combating domestic violence in NSW.

But some claim the cost and limitations of such a scheme would limit its effectiveness.

The final report from a trial DVDS run in four NSW locations between 2016 and 2019 found that there was "limited demand" for the scheme and the per-case cost of operation was high (averaging $3959 per application).

However, the same report acknowledged there were "early indications that the DVDS is proving of value to individual applicants".

Cooper acknowledged that implementing a DVDS won't be a "complete fix" for the domestic violence issue in NSW but said that "if it saves one life ... that's better than none".

For now, Cooper's best hope is to get 20,000 signatures on her petition before July so that it will be put to the NSW Legislative Assembly​​​​.

Maclaren-Jones said "the Coalition would be pleased to bring this petition in the house, urging the Minns Labor government to take tangible action on this crucial matter".

But if the petition fails to attract enough signatures, it's back to square one.

"My heart is racing because it's so frustrating [and] it's a lot of work for one person to do, but I'm not giving up," Cooper said.

"In Australia, not only do we deserve better, we demand better, because we can't continue to call ourselves progressive and ahead of the game when we're not."

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