Oliver* first presented with a Safety Notice issued by Victoria Police in relation to an incident at his mums house. Oliver was enrolled in school, but had disengaged due to the struggles associated with an intellectual disability, and after getting angry with Mum on occasions he was now living with his Nanna.
The first court appearance was led by Victoria Police, where a final Safe Contact order was granted, after Oliver had been accused of damaging his mother’s property and becoming violent with her. This meant that he could still have regular contact with his Mum; however as part of his bail conditions he was to continue to reside with his Nanna.
After the first mention in relation to the criminal charges was adjourned, I took the time to explain to Oliver the importance of him adhering to the conditions of his bail and not visiting his mum’s house. I suggested that he used a boxing bag or go for a walk as a strategy to control his temper.
Unfortunately a week prior to the hearing of the criminal charges I got a call from Mum to say that Oliver had been to her home and lost his temper again, damaging property and breaking bail conditions and the FVIO. Due to this, although the police had recommended diversion, the Magistrate did not agree with our submissions at hearing and Oliver was placed on a 6 month probation order, without conviction. It is unknown what will happen in relation to the second lot of charges, but it will rely heavily on whether the conditions of the probation order are obeyed.
Oliver is due to start counselling at Headspace and it is hoped that he can be connected to a program such as ROPES led by Victoria Police or the Big Brother program; however this is unlikely given dramatic funding cuts. Unfortunately due to the client’s limited capacity to intellectualise the consequences of his actions and his inability to control his emotions, I fear that he will have future engagement with the criminal justice system.
Hopefully with the support of his mother and Nanna who are both lovely caring woman, Oliver can overcome the challenges he has experienced in the past.