Office of the Public AdvocateIncidents of abuse, neglect and violence against some of Victoria's most vulnerable are on the rise, volunteer advocates say.
The 2022/23 Community Visitors annual report released this week by the state's Public Advocate indicated an overall increase in abuse, neglect and violence for the vulnerable people they visit.
The volunteers filed a total of 596 reports of abuse, neglect and assaults in the 2022/23 year, the highest number since pre-pandemic times.
"Community Visitors directly observed the negative impacts of the congregation and segregation of people with disability and mental health issues in the places they visit," Public Advocate Colleen Pearce wrote.
The most common types of abuse among disability residents included physical assault, property damage and ongoing neglect where violence between residents had become normalised.
"This year, as they do every year, community visitors held particular concerns about the high prevalence of violence between residents who live with people they do not choose to live with and who have few options to find safety elsewhere," Ms Pearce said.
Community visitors report mental health patients are often subjected to significant limitations on their human rights.
"There is still a long way to go," the Public Advocate said.
