NSW appoints first Victims of Crime Commissioner

The NSW Government has appointed Hannah Damkar as the state’s first independent Victims of Crime Commissioner, a role with deep significance for the Jewish community given her central involvement in the response to the Bondi Beach terror attack in December 2025.

Damkar, who served as deputy coordinator general for the NSW Government’s Bondi response, will formally take up the five-year appointment from July 30 after approval by the NSW Governor.

In a message to the Jewish community, Damkar said, “It has been a privilege to work alongside you in my role as deputy coordinator general for the Bondi response and I look forward to continuing to work with you in the new, independent advocate role to ensure that your voice, your experiences, are heard throughout your long-term recovery.

“Two of the things that the Jewish community has taught me, I think put me in great stead for this role. One, is that there is light in the darkness, and the second, is that hope trumps hatred.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) CEO Michele Goldman said the appointment would be widely welcomed across the community.

“Hannah played a central role during Bondi, often behind the scenes. She is so passionately committed to being with victims, to providing a strong listening ear, to making sure that they feel heard, and to get to the bottom of what needs to change,” Goldman said.

“I’ve witnessed Hannah first-hand hearing and helping an individual work through an incident, navigate the system, but then more importantly understand how to make the systematic change to ensure all victims don’t have to go through that same challenge again.”

The commissioner role, established by legislation passed in October 2025, delivers on a Minns Labor Government election commitment. The commissioner will advocate for victims of crime at a systemic level, oversee the Charter of Victims’ Rights and establish a new complaints handling framework with the power to require agencies to produce information related to alleged breaches of the charter.

The Office of the Victims of Crime Commissioner will sit within the NSW Premier’s Department.

Damkar brings more than a decade of public sector experience in crisis recovery and was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2023.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said Damkar “understands what victims go through” and would be “a compassionate, determined and independent advocate for victim-survivors across NSW”.