When the System Fails to Police Itself
Our journey for justice began with a simple expectation: that the system designed to protect the public would do its job. As our previous updates have detailed, that expectation was not met.
- First, our local council conducted a flawed investigation that failed to follow basic procedures, ultimately closing the case with no outcome.
- Then, our engagement with the key state government departments, Agriculture Victoria and Local Government Victoria, revealed a shocking and deliberate refusal to even measure the scale of the dog attack problem, let alone solve it.
When every level of the system—from local enforcement to state governance—fails to act, victims are left with only one path forward: an appeal to independent oversight.
Our Formal Complaints
Having exhausted all direct channels, we have now lodged a series of formal complaints with the two primary independent oversight bodies in Victoria, asking them to investigate these systemic failures.
- To the Victorian Ombudsman: We have asked the Ombudsman to investigate the administrative failures of Agriculture Victoria and Local Government Victoria. Their refusal to collect data is not just poor policy; it is a failure of their public duty to support accountable governance. We have also lodged a complaint regarding the procedural failures of our local council's investigation.
- To the Victims of Crime Commissioner (VOCC): Our submission to the VOCC focuses on the human cost of these failures. We have detailed how the conduct of both Victoria Police and our local council has failed to uphold the principles of the Victims' Charter. We have asked the Commissioner to recognize that victims of severe dog attacks are being systematically denied their rights to information, respect, and justice.
The Path to Real Accountability
Lodging these complaints is a necessary and serious step. Our direct engagement has proven that these departments are either unable or unwilling to address their own failures.
We believe that true accountability can only be achieved through the intervention of these powerful, independent offices. They have the authority to investigate, to demand answers, and to make recommendations for systemic reform that can no longer be ignored.
This is the next chapter in our fight for a safer and more accountable Victoria. We will keep you updated on the progress of these investigations.