Hi there.

If your friend has suffered an assault (no matter who the perpetrator was) she can still go to the police and make a report. While a sheriff has the power to forcibly remove someone who has been properly evicted from a house, there are limits to this power and it does not mean that they can use any amount of force.

It would be good for your friend to contact a lawyer to get some legal advice specific to her situation. If she is short of money, there are Community Legal Centres in many different parts of Victoria, and most have a free drop in service one or two days a week where they provide free on the spot advice. Most community legal centres have websites that have their contact details and opening hours.

The Sheriffs Office also has a complaints process where she could let them know about what happened. The relevant form is found here: http://online.fines.vic.gov.au/fines/pdfdocuments/Sheriffs_Feedback.pdf. If she does not get a satisfactory response through that process, she can also complain to the Victorian Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent from the Sheriffs office.

If your friend needs emergency accommodation for her and her three children she can also contact the Department of Human Services on their crisis accommodation hotline on 1800 825 955 or visit their website for me information.