The chair of South Australia’s Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence says the state has “lost” its way in tackling the issue and urged the government to “lead with courage”.

Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja made 136 recommendations as part of the royal commission findings, which were handed down last week and publicly released today.

The state government has committed to implementing seven of the recommendations so far.

Ms Stott Despoja told a Tuesday press conference her 660-page report provided a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for our state to address” what she called a “statewide crisis”.

Hands holding a purple-cover report held close to the body

The findings were made public at a media conference attended by Ms Stott Despoja, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and government minister Katrine Hildyard. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

“South Australia was once a leader in tackling this issue, and now, we are way behind,” Ms Stott Despoja said.

“We’ve lost our way. The commission has found that the domestic, family and sexual violence system in this state is fragmented, it’s crisis-driven and it’s siloed.

“There’s no single point of leadership within the government for the domestic and family violence system, and without government stewardship or an accountability mechanism, no-one is held responsible for when services fail people or fail to support victim-survivors.”

Natasha Stott Despoja looks down while standing next to Katrine Hildyard and a painting

The 660-page reported contained 136 recommendations. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

The commission started public hearings nine months ago, and spoke to those with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence as well as those on the front lines.

Ms Stott Despoja said serious change was needed to address the issue, including a “statewide strategy with prevention at its core”.

More than 5,000 community members shared their experiences, with the commission receiving more than 380 submissions.

“Some of the stories have been harrowing … heartbreaking, and some will haunt me and my team for ever,” Ms Stott Despoja said.

“But I’ve also derived a great deal of inspiration from the hope that’s out there, from those people who do actually have a vision of a South Australia that’s violence-free.”

She said the violence experienced by young Aboriginal people was “a statewide shame”, with one in seven having experienced family, domestic or sexual violence.

Peter Malinauskas speaks in front of a colourful painting in a dark room

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says the government will accept seven recommendations as it gives consideration to the rest. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the state government would adopt seven of the recommendations and would “dutifully consider and examine” all recommendations before responding to them.

“It’s important to remember how we got here,” he said.

“Tragically, a little over 12 months ago four women died in the space of just over a week.

“It was a really harsh wake-up call that reminded us all that domestic violence is having an extraordinarily detrimental impact in our community.”

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1h agoTue 19 Aug 2025 at 3:45am

That ends our live coverage

That wraps our live coverage of the public release of the findings from South Australia’s Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.

ABC News coverage will continue throughout the afternoon, and in the coming days and weeks.

Here are some of the key things to come out of today’s announcement:

The SA government has committed to implementing seven of the royal commission’s 136 recommendations.Premier Peter Malinauskas says the government will “dutifully consider and examine” the remaining 129 recommendations before making decisions about further responses.Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja described her report – and the response to it – as “not a tick-and-flick exercise” but as an opportunity for “getting it right”.She offered this challenge: “It’s time now for our state to act with courage and lead with courage.”

2h agoTue 19 Aug 2025 at 3:32am

Recommendations for implementation

The press conference has concluded, but here are the seven recommendations the government has committed to implementing:

Recommendation 1: “The South Australian government create a standalone ministerial portfolio for domestic, family and sexual violence.”

Recommendation 2: “The South Australian government establish and resource a stewardship function within government.” The recommendation goes onto set out the responsibilities for a Government Steward’s office, including leading “the commissioning or recommissioning of state government–funded services within the domestic, family and sexual violence sector”.

Recommendation 4: “The Senior Leadership Committee develop an Implementation Plan for the phased implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, for consideration by Cabinet.” It goes on to set out how that should occur.

Recommendation 9: “The South Australian government embed domestic, family and sexual violence as a sixth whole-of-government priority in the Chief Executive Performance Agreement template and require each chief executive’s performance agreement to include achievement of the actions and impact identified in the Implementation Plan.”

Recommendation 10: “The South Australian government develop a 5-year statewide domestic, family and sexual violence strategy that includes the 4 pillars of prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing, following delivery of the Implementation and Impact Monitor’s first annual report to Parliament.  The South Australian government resource and support the development of a standalone 5-year Aboriginal domestic, family and sexual violence strategy.”

Recommendation 11: “The South Australian government establish 2 domestic, family and sexual violence Lived Experience Advisory Networks (one for adults and one for children and young people) to provide advice and expertise to the South Australian government.” The recommendation provides criteria around how that should occur.

Recommendation 12: “The South Australian government appoint a Lived Experience Advisory Group (or Groups) from the membership of the Lived Experience Advisory Networks to provide advice and expertise to the Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.”

2h agoTue 19 Aug 2025 at 3:21am

‘Rapid review of expenditure’

The commissioner has been asked about the first recommendation, which urges “the South Australian government create a standalone ministerial portfolio for domestic, family and sexual violence”.

Ms Stott Despoja says the portfolio at the moment is combined with the minister for women portfolio, and she believes they need to be separated.

Ms Stott Despoja says there will be a need for “significant uplift” in some areas. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

She has also been asked about how much funding she thinks is appropriate for implementing reforms, but responded by saying it was not for her to say, and that she can’t put a figure on it.

“But what I am actually quite heartened by are the recommendations that the government has accepted today including something that was necessary and that is some rapid review of expenditure in this space,” she said.

“It was really difficult to determine state-based funding for this sector. Most of the funding came from national agreements.

“They need to ascertain what’s being spent now and then it’ll be clear about what requires significant uplift.”

Show more’Act with courage and lead with courage’

Mr Malinauskas said while he could not specify financial commitments he was confident SA would devote sufficient funding.

“Domestic violence often happens behind closed doors … but that doesn’t change the fact that it could be a family member who’s a victim, a neighbour who’s a perpetrator,” he said.

“We should be alive to that.”

A brightly coloured painting of people looking at the sun, next to Peter Malinauskas

A painting by artist and leading First Nations voice in domestic violence prevention, Rachel Abdulla, was featured in the royal commission reports. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

Ms Stott Despoja said funding was just part of the solution, with policy solutions needed also.

“It’s time now for our state to act with courage and lead with courage, and I have every confidence that we will,” she said.

“There is an urgent need … for collective responsibility and leadership within government, and the establishment of a statewide risk assessment and management framework.

“We need to establish a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week central entry point that supports all South Australians experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence. We also need to accompany that with flexible funding packages to ensure that no South Australian is left behind.”

Ms Stott Despoja’s findings were handed down last week to SA governor Frances Adamson, and were publicly unveiled this morning.

The royal commission was called at the end of 2023 following the deaths of six South Australians from alleged family and domestic violence.

“This royal commission was born out of unimaginable loss,” Ms Stott Despoja said. 

“It galvanised the sector and the community to advocate strongly for a royal commission.”

As well as the report, the commission has published a 111-page supplementary called “Voices”, which tells the stories of those who made submissions to the royal commission.