Domestic violence affecting rich and poor
REPETITIVE CYCLE
PORT DOUGLAS Police sergeant Damien Meadows says breaking the 'repetitive cycle' of domestic violence is the key to eradicating it from society.
Speaking in support of the establishment of a domestic and family violence refuge in the Douglas Shire, Sergeant Meadows also said the blight on the community was not limited to one particular socio economic group.
“There are a number of ethnic and socio economic centres in the Douglas Shire,” Meadows said.
“Domestic violence is not limited to one particular group. The richest families can do it right down to people who are on social security.
“There is no demographic that fits into domestic violence. The perpetrator owns it, and thats where it stops.”
Meadows said he was seeing an increase in victims of domestic violence coming forward to police, which was paramount to preventing incidents such as the murder of Melbourne schoolboy Luke Batty, and the recent alleged kidnapping and attempted murder of a young Port Douglas woman.
Batty, 11, was tragically killed by his father at cricket practice in 2014.
“We’ve recently had a very serious case in the Douglas region in the last week which was the culmination of domestic violence at the high end,” Meadows said.
“We were very fortunate that didn’t end in the most tragic circumstances.
“In the Douglas Shire the stats have been proven to be up there with the worst in the state. We feel the community is starting to get more and more comfortable with reporting offences to police which is the first step in us being able to deal with the situation.”
Victims of a domestic violence are most at risk when they leave or separate from their partners. Meadows agreed with Mayor Julie Leu’s sentiments regarding the urgency to build a ‘safe haven’ for victims of domestic violence, also saying it was crucial to stop the repetitive cycle of domestic violence around children ‘as it is a learned behaviour’.
“Assistance for domestic violence victims in the Douglas Shire has never been more pertinent than right now,” Meadows said.
“We’re starting to interact a lot more now with the perpetrators of domestic violence in an attempt to cease that cycle.
“That enables us to break the cycle and stop it moving from one relationship to the next relationship, and that’s crucial in eradicating domestic violence in society.
“We believe it’s not just the victims issue, it goes beyond that and we need to address it on all levels.”
If domestic or family violence is affecting you or someone you know call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au
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