Question details
Begging
(1758) My adjournment matter is for the Attorney-General, and the action that I seek is for Victoria to stop criminalising begging. Jessica Geddes of Endeavour Hills was only 27 years old when she was fatally bashed by her abusive partner in 2020. Thirty-six reports were made to Victoria Police of Jessica breaching the public order. She often begged for food and money while her Centrelink payments were directed to her abusive partner. When police did make contact, they would usually ask Jessica to move on, despite receiving reports of suspected family violence. State Coroner John Cain said:
It appears that each incident was considered individually, rather than considering the reasons why Jessica was begging, and the underlying issues she was facing …
Like State Coroner John Cain, I believe we need to end the criminalisation of begging in Victoria. Being poor is not a crime. Our archaic laws are built on negative stereotypes of beggars as troublesome or lazy. Despite being decriminalised in Western Australia, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania, begging remains an offence in Victoria punishable by fine or imprisonment. According to Justice Connect Homeless Law’s 2018 survey, one in three people charged with begging had experienced family violence. That same survey found 77 per cent experienced homelessness, 87 per cent had a mental illness and 37 per cent reported childhood trauma or abuse.
Criminal responses to begging perpetuate poverty and fail to address root causes of vulnerability that lead people to beg. We are currently locking up people for simply trying to survive, and if we do not lock them up, we fine them. It is a terrible irony that in Victoria if you cannot afford to survive and are forced to resort to begging, the government fines you, pushing you further into poverty.
For those that are charged, having to attend court amongst poverty, homelessness, violence and mental illness is a mammoth task. When someone fails to attend court, they can be subject to further criminalisation. We must end the criminalisation of begging in Victoria. We owe it to people like Jessica and to those who, instead of being offered a helping hand, were told to move along. So I ask: will the Attorney-General take steps to stop the criminalisation of begging in Victoria?
I thank the Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan for her question.
I send my deepest sympathies to Jessica’s family. Every death resulting from family violence is a tragedy, and the Coroners Court plays an important role in advising on critical prevention opportunities.
Begging is a complex issue and I acknowledge it is important to consider the circumstances that lead to a person begging. They are often tragic and difficult. As the Coroner identified, people who resort to begging are often experiencing homelessness or family violence.
The Victorian Government is committed to addressing the underlying causes for begging, in particular by leading the nation in its women’s safety and family violence reforms.
In May 2024, the Victorian Government announced it would deliver a new package of reforms that will change laws, change culture, and deliver new support for victim survivors when they need it most. The reform package will strengthen laws to better prevent and respond to family violence, including introducing a presumption of a minimum length for Family Violence Intervention Orders; improvements to Personal Safety Intervention Orders; and changes to the way orders are served, to ensure protection starts as soon as possible. In addition to the legislative reforms, the package includes increased funding for legal assistance to support victim-survivors of family violence, and a landmark study to ensure Victoria’s suite of perpetrator interventions are contemporary, effective and accessible.
While these reforms and investments represent crucial steps in stopping all forms of violence against women, I acknowledge that there is still more work to be done to support victim-survivors to get the justice they deserve. The Government remains committed to ending all forms of violence against women and will continue to progress reforms to appropriately support victim-survivors.
I have asked my Department to consider your suggestion.
The Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP
Attorney-General
26/10/2025