Explain 2 relevant ethical principles that apply to the scenario.
Scenario – Case Study
Maria Costa is 34 years old, born 17 August. Maria is married with two children. Her husband Jason started being physically violent towards her soon after they were married. Maria wants the relationship to work, but after eight years she recognises she cannot stop Jason from being violent. Maria feels she should stay with Jason because of the children, whom he never hits.
She also worries about having to move away from her job and her son’s school. Her son has a learning difficulty, and it has taken several years for him to settle into a school and develop friendship groups. Both children attend Heidelberg Primary School
After a particularly violent incident one Saturday evening, Maria’s neighbours call the police. They arrive at the house at 1 Lockard Street, Heidelberg, Victoria. The police determine that Maria and the children require immediate protection and issue a Family Violence Safety Notice excluding Jason from the home and requiring him to attend the local Specialist Family Violence Court site the following Monday.
You are a Family Violence Registrar at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court, assigned Maria’s case. You have organised an appointment to meet her and complete a Risk Assessment and an application for a Family Violence Intervention Order.
Maria arrives late to the set appointment. Her clothes are untidy, and she has one of her children with her. She explains that she received a threatening phone call late last night. She and the children are now staying at a hotel.
During the interview process she discloses the following information:
- She has a son named Simon (aged 7 born on 12 June) and a daughter Lisa (aged 5 born on 15 September). Simon has dyslexia and needs extra support at school.
- Jason adores the children and keeps commenting about how much they look like him.
- The violence in the relationship started when Jason slapped her on their honeymoon. He apologised afterward, but it soon became a regular event. He could always find a reason and told her that “You make me do it, you look at me like I’m nothing – I’m not taking that in my house.” He belittles her appearance and her intellect – “You’re lucky I’m here to look after you, who would want someone as useless as you?”
- They moved from NSW to Victoria for Jason’s work. She has not had time to socialise and make friends outside of work, as Jason insists, she stays home, picks up the kids, and makes dinner. He also checks her phone messages regularly and insists she gives him access to her email.
- Since she went back to work six months ago, the violence has become worse. She has used up her sick days recovering from injuries such as punches to the abdomen and twisted arms.
- Last night she got a call on the house phone. It kept ringing and she worried it would wake the children. When she picked up, there was heavy breathing and a voice said, “You’re never going to leave me.” At that moment she felt terrified, and grabbed the children, and took them to a hotel an hour out of town. She has not returned to the house.
- Her family does not know about what is going on, and she does not know how to tell them. She wants help with her finances as well as personal support. She would like somewhere safe to stay until this is settled.
- She wants Simon to keep attending this school, as he is making friends and his learning is improving. She is worried that Jason will follow her from the school.
As a Justice worker: use the information from the case study above to complete the case note below. To meet court standards, you must not leave any field blank but you may indicate ‘Not Applicable’. You must have it signed at the bottom.
| CASE NOTE | |||||||||||
| 1. Interview date | 2. Time | 3. Location | |||||||||
| 4. Client Name | 5. Address | ||||||||||
| 6. Date of birth | 7. Gender | 8. Marital status | |||||||||
| 9. Name of Spouse | 10. Date of birth if known | ||||||||||
| 11. Address of spouse | |||||||||||
| 12. Number of children | 13. DOB and gender of Children | 1.
2. 3. 4. |
|||||||||
| 14. Schools currently attending | 1.
2. 3. 4. |
15. Details of special needs: physical, medical developmental, learning. |
|
||||||||
| 16. Name of the alleged perpetrator | 17. Address if known |
|
|||||||||
| 18. Has a Safety Notice been issue? | |||||||||||
| 19. Description of the event/s: | |||||||||||
| 20. Witnesses to the event | |||||||||||
| 21. Was protection from perpetrator required | |||||||||||
| 22. List any medical attention if required | |||||||||||
| 23. Indicators of family violence | |||||||||||
| 24. Details of client’s requests for actions: | |||||||||||
| 25. List and justify referral services offered | |||||||||||
| 26. Initial of Court-appointed registrar: Explained the purpose of information sharing under Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 | 27. Client signs to acknowledge they have been advised of Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 | ||||||||||
| Initials | Signature | ||||||||||
| 28. Use the space below: Provide an explanation as to the purpose of information sharing under Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008. | |||||||||||
| 29. Explain 2 relevant ethical principles that apply to the scenario. | |||||||||||
