The deaths of two mothers has sparked an election commitment to create an Australian-first offence.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll is promising a significant overhaul of family and sexual violence laws if Labor can secure a fourth straight term in power after the November election.
The planned changes include legislating a new offence for when a perpetrator abandons a victim in medical need.
It follows the deaths of Victorian women Narelle Simmons and Belinda Jones, who were abandoned by their abusive partners while in urgent medical need.
State Coroner Judge Liberty Sanger recommended consideration of the reform, with the Victorian government declaring it was ready to crack down on "legal loopholes".
Ben Carroll has declared himself a "tough on crime" premier. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
In another Australian first, Labor also intends to legislate a new form of manslaughter to include when someone has taken their life due to family violence.
The creation of the offences will mean these crimes can be tracked.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny has previously committed to "closing every loophole" accused people "abuse and exploit" to hide their identities in Victoria's courts.
It followed Tom Silvagni, the son of AFL great Stephen Silvagni, and entertainment and sporting manager Ralph Carr using mental health grounds to successfully keep their names being publicised for 18 months and almost three years, respectively, while facing rape charges.
Both were ultimately convicted and the gag orders lifted.
Other newly promised reforms include a maximum penalty of life in prison for rape, increasing the maximum for every serious sexual offence by five years and upping the standard sentence for murder of a current or former partner from 25 years to 30.
The state government plans to change the law to let courts consider patterns of sexual abuse as evidence at trial and stop barristers using "humiliating and invasive questioning techniques" in court.
The maximum penalty for persistent family violence intervention order breaches would also be doubled from five years in prison to 10 under Labor's pitch.
Before being convicted of rape, Tom Silvagni managed to keep his name hidden as his case continued. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
"I'm a tough-on-crime premier - and that means being tough on family and sexual violence," Mr Carroll said.
"We must act on the violence killing a Victorian woman every two weeks."
The latest Victorian crime statistics showed there were 42 homicide and related offences connected to family violence in the 12 months to the end of March.
Breaches of family violence orders fell slightly year-on-year from 64,586 to 64,047 but have risen from 54,118 in 2022.
Elsewhere, the opposition has pledged to build three new select-entry high schools and transition six existing government schools to select or partial select-entry.
This, it says, would significantly expand academic pathways for high-achieving students across Victoria.
The state currently has just four fully selective government secondary schools. By contrast, NSW has 21 fully selective and 26 partially selective.
Coalition leader Jess Wilson says the new schools would be built in areas of high and currently unmet demand before 2030.
"Every Victorian student deserves the opportunity to reach for their full potential, no matter where they live," she said on Sunday.
SOURCE/AUTHOR : AAP NEWS/Callum Godde in Melbourne
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