Latest news with #DomesticViolenceNSW
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘This got me through': A DV survivor's guide to being an ally
Marianne* suffered years of psychological manipulation, sexual coercion and financial abuse at the hands of her ex-husband. After they separated, the intimidation ramped up. In her darkest moments, she reached out to a few good friends through Facebook and they came to her emotional rescue. When a good friend asked what they could do to help her, Marianne asked if one of them could accompany her to court. 'She organised about 15 people to turn up to court with me, and they just stood with me and made me feel safe and supported,' Marianne says. 'Normally I'd go into court and I'd feel victimised, scared and alone, but on this day, I was laughing and chatting. It turned out to be one of the best days.' Marianne says her friend's support didn't end there. She has also set up crowdfunding to help Marianne pay for her legal fees and has been a constant good listener. 'This support is what got me through.' Experts agree that many women live with violence or abuse for years before telling someone or seeking help. So, what would you say or do if you knew or suspected that a woman was being hurt by someone she knows? It's easy to presume that she has someone else to help or even 'if she's in danger she would surely leave'. But the messaging around domestic violence is that if you suspect something, it's worth saying something. When approaching a suspected victim-survivor of domestic abuse, senior policy and advocacy officer at Domestic Violence NSW, Angie Gehle says it's important you don't judge them – and you don't tell them what to do. 'They will want to know if they are safe talking to you, their radar will be going off constantly in order to determine this,' says Gehle. 'It's important not to judge them by saying things like 'I wouldn't put up with that' or 'I couldn't handle it if my husband did that' or even 'You deserve better.' These types of comments will immediately make a woman shut down.
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
‘This got me through': A DV survivor's guide to being an ally
Marianne* suffered years of psychological manipulation, sexual coercion and financial abuse at the hands of her ex-husband. After they separated, the intimidation ramped up. In her darkest moments, she reached out to a few good friends through Facebook and they came to her emotional rescue. When a good friend asked what they could do to help her, Marianne asked if one of them could accompany her to court. 'She organised about 15 people to turn up to court with me, and they just stood with me and made me feel safe and supported,' Marianne says. 'Normally I'd go into court and I'd feel victimised, scared and alone, but on this day, I was laughing and chatting. It turned out to be one of the best days.' Marianne says her friend's support didn't end there. She has also set up crowdfunding to help Marianne pay for her legal fees and has been a constant good listener. 'This support is what got me through.' Experts agree that many women live with violence or abuse for years before telling someone or seeking help. So, what would you say or do if you knew or suspected that a woman was being hurt by someone she knows? It's easy to presume that she has someone else to help or even 'if she's in danger she would surely leave'. But the messaging around domestic violence is that if you suspect something, it's worth saying something. When approaching a suspected victim-survivor of domestic abuse, senior policy and advocacy officer at Domestic Violence NSW, Angie Gehle says it's important you don't judge them – and you don't tell them what to do. 'They will want to know if they are safe talking to you, their radar will be going off constantly in order to determine this,' says Gehle. 'It's important not to judge them by saying things like 'I wouldn't put up with that' or 'I couldn't handle it if my husband did that' or even 'You deserve better.' These types of comments will immediately make a woman shut down.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Domestic violence peak body concerned NSW budget boost fails to address 'waitlist issues'
The peak body supporting family and domestic violence victim-survivors in NSW says a half-a-billion dollar budget commitment does not address the immediate day-to-day needs of a sector struggling to cope. The state government announced this month's budget will contain spending to provide more resources to support victim-survivors who have to navigate the justice system. Premier Chris Minns on Monday described the package as "a crucial investment in justice in NSW". The announcement includes an additional $227 million over five years for government support services which help people access counselling and financial assistance. The government said it would also provide a total of $272 million towards bolstering its own frontline domestic violence services. The budget commitment provides $49 million for a hub to support victim-survivors going through the legal system, $34 million to upgrade the Downing Centre courts precinct and $48 million to fund more prosecutors. "It would be virtually unimpeachable that the justice system and our court system can be incredibly intimidating for vulnerable people in difficult circumstances, perhaps the most difficult circumstances of their life," Mr Minns said. The government also announced it would offer five-year contracts for domestic violence support services in a bid to provide "funding certainty" to struggling organisations. However, Domestic Violence NSW CEO Delia Donovan said while the funding announcement was welcomed, overwhelmed frontline organisations needed a boost to keep their doors open. "We had asked for $163 million baseline funding to go to services … baseline funding has not been upped for 10 years," she said. She said the announcement would not alleviate the two-month waitlists at services. "We know demand is at 95 per cent across services, that people are reaching out for help and the waitlists are too high. "Parts [of the justice package] of course are welcomed … but this isn't about service reform for us, this is justice reform and it's simply not good enough." As part of the budget cash splash, there will also be $100 million to increase the capacity of the prison system. The premier said make-up of the funding package was partly because the "prison population had increased by 1,000" people since his government took office. Full Stop Australia CEO Karen Bevan said the funding initiatives for the justice system "were absolutely critical" to help domestic violence victim-survivors recover and heal after going through the legal process. "Some of the announcements today make a real change for the experience of victim-survivors in court and that's critical," she said.
