Australia police arrest 554 in domestic violence crackdown

Sydney: Police in Australia s most populous state announced Monday they had arrested and charged 554 domestic violence suspects in a four day operatio...

Sydney: Police in Australia's most populous state announced Monday they had arrested and charged 554 domestic violence suspects in a four-day operation, as the country reckons with a series of high-profile attacks on women.

New South Wales police said some of "the worst domestic violence offenders" in the state had been rounded up, including one man who allegedly stamped on a woman, causing fractured ribs, facial injuries and a bruised kidney.

The arrests come as Australia grapples with the violent deaths of 28 women this year -- an average of one death every four days. Only 14 women died in violent incidents during the same period last year.

A series of high-profile attacks on women -- including the stabbing of five women at a Bondi mall -- have thrown the focus on gender-based and domestic violence.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called it a "national crisis", while announcing measures to curb deepfake content and increase funding for women fleeing abusive relationships.