Illawarra's Boost youth intervention trial hopes to save women's lives

A new program in the Illawarra aimed at breaking the cycle of domestic violence is already showing results. Key points: A new trial has started to support young people who are at risk of committing domestic violence offences The Boost program hopes to break the cycle of people repeatedly entering the justice system Organisers believe the program has the potential to save lives in the future With two decades of experience in the youth and criminal justice system, Vaughn Winther is helping lead a new, early intervention trial designed to support young people who have breached or are at risk of breaching an Apprehended Violence Order. "I have worked with a lot of young people who've been incarcerated, who have committed family violence offences and to see a program that specifically focuses on those behaviours means I truly believe that women's lives will be saved in the future," he said. Called Boost, the new program started after ACSO staff in the Illawarra were approached by local police and youth justice officers looking for help dealing with an over-represented group of young people breaching AVOs. Long-awaited domestic violence report released Photo shows Kate Fitz-Gibbon looking straight at the camera and smiling, wearing a black jacket A long-awaited report that the Morrison government sat on for months has been released, with experts declaring it a "vital piece of evidence" that will chart the path towards eliminating violence against women and children.