South Australia Police have arrested 70 people on 116 alleged domestic violence offences during an operation in April. The operation, part of the ongoing Operation Storm Days of Action, targeted 351 offenders and saw officers attend 443 addresses across the state.
Among those arrested was a 76-year-old man from the Barossa Valley, accused of indecently assaulting his wife and breaching an intervention order. He was placed on home detention and is due to appear in court in June. A 29-year-old man from the state's far north was also arrested for allegedly assaulting his partner, facing charges including assault causing harm and multiple counts of aggravated assault and breaching an intervention order.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Philip Newitt said police have investigated 2,470 alleged domestic violence offenders since the operation began in July 2024, resulting in 519 arrests and 131 reports. He noted that 117 support referrals were made for offenders to access rehabilitation services during the recent two-week operation, with some individuals seeking help through the SAPOL website.
The arrests come after South Australia's Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence handed down 136 recommendations in August, describing the issue as a 'statewide crisis'. The state government accepted 129 of the recommendations and announced $674 million in funding over 10 years to combat domestic violence, including a new dedicated police unit with over 100 full-time staff by 2031-32.
Recent crime statistics show a 5 per cent increase in family and domestic abuse-related offences reported to police in the year to March 2026, compared to the previous 12 months.
