The Social Welfare Advisory Committee has backed the Social Welfare Department's launch of two pilot batterer intervention programmes in January.

Committee chairman Wilfred Wong said the programmes identify effective treatment modalities for batterers, and provide more scientific basis for future counselling services.

At the committee's meeting today, members supported the zero-tolerance stance on family violence and believed more discussion is needed on implementing it.

"Members felt that every case of domestic violence was unique and it might be better to leave it to frontline professionals to take appropriate action as the situation warranted," he said.

Pragmatic approach

Members were also briefed on the Government's preliminary responses to the recommendations of the Consultancy Study on Child Abuse & Spouse Battering.

The committee felt the consultant approached the issue of handling domestic violence and drawn up recommendations from the academic perspective.

On the way forward, the Government should approach the overall policy and measures to better prevent and handle domestic violence in a pragmatic way, Mr Wong said.