The Victorian government’s move to abolish good character references in sentencing for violent offences marks a significant and necessary shift in how our justice system understands accountability.

For too long, the character of an offender in other parts of their life has been used to soften the consequences of deliberate, harmful actions.

Local experts in the North East say its removal is not only welcome, but overdue.

Here in regional communities, where anonymity is scarce and social circles overlap, victim survivors already face enormous barriers to coming forward.

Many fear they will not be believed, particularly when the person who harmed them is a familiar face, a respected local or a well known footballer.

In close knit towns like Wangaratta and its surrounds, we can feel like we know one another without knowing how a person behaves behind closed doors.

Victim survivors should not have to sit in a courtroom and hear their experiences minimised by glowing character statements unrelated to the violence they endured.

Ending that practice sends a clear message: accountability is determined by actions, not reputation.

Hume Riverina Community Legal Service sees first-hand the scale of domestic and family violence in our region, and stresses that accountability is critical to real cultural change.

These reforms will not fix every gap in the system and care must be taken to ensure the change does not inadvertently harm victim survivors who themselves become entangled in the justice system.

This is a meaningful step, one that strengthens trust, centres the experiences of victim survivors, and reinforces that violence cannot be excused, no matter the status of the person who commits it.