DV Alliance

BREAKING: Queensland will introduce legislation to make coercive control a criminal offence by the end of 2023 and today the Premier announced a historic overhaul of laws to better protect Queenslanders.

Coercive control is the most common factor leading up to intimate partner homicide. By the end of next year, we will introduce legislation to criminalise it.

The overhaul of laws and practices to better protect Queensland women from domestic and family violence and hold perpetrators to account also includes:

◽️ New laws and programs to recognise and prevent coercive control including making coercive control a criminal offence
◽️ A Commission of Inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence
◽️ Expansion of the Domestic and Family Violence courts
◽️ Better support for women
◽️ A special strategy for First Nations communities
◽️ Funding for perpetrator programs to change men’s behaviour and stop the cycle of violence
◽️ Expansion of High-Risk Teams and co-responder models to ensure victims receive a joint response from police and domestic and family violence services
◽️ Increased respectful relationships education to all Queensland children and young people

Looking for a new podcast series?

Add Medusa's Mic to your Spotify playlist and learn how you can take positive action against sexual violence and domestic and family violence.

🎙MEDUSA’S MIC IS LIVE!!! 🎉 🎉🎉

It's time to empower everyday people to stop sexual violence. 💪🏼🤔💡

I've been sharing sneak peaks of the podcast for a while now and today you can listen to the first three episodes - WOOHOO!!!🎙🎙🎙

I am so excited to introduce the following guests to you!

❤️ Episode 1: Erin Cash - Empowering young women

💜 Episode 2: Erin Cash - Personal protection and reporting options

💚 Episode 3: Tracey Leigh-Allen - Recognising domestic violence in the workplace

The Medusa's Mic Podcast will include weekly episodes and share stories from victim-survivors, experts in sexual violence prevention and response, and the quiet leaders creating change in their communities.

🎧 LISTEN NOW on Podbean, Spotify and all the places you usually get your podcasts (coming soon on Apple).

Medusa's Mic is produced by the Stop Sexual Violence Collaboration.

Let’s use our collective voices to change the future for the next generation of women. Every person and every organisation can effect change. Don't just listen........act!

Safety. Respect. Equity We invite you to join us in demanding a future in which all women enjoy safety, respect and equity. It is within reach and it starts here. ...

A reminder from ANROWS CEO Padma Raman that our society failing to believe or dismissing threats to kill can result in dire outcomes for victims of domestic and family violence.

How would you respond if someone told you their partner has threatened to kill them?



https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7629115/three-patterns-which-can-lead-to-domestic-violence-murder/?utm_campaign=4AP.9%20Butler%20and%204AP.1%20Boxall%20combined%20press%20campaign&utm_content=198598951&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-7944461

Three patterns which can lead to domestic violence murder The report shows one clear risk across victims of intimate partner violence homicides between 2010 and 2018.

This tragic death highlights that domestic and family violence is a serious issue in our LGBTIQ+ community. You can be a victim of domestic & family violence homicide regardless of your sexual orientation or gender. Adam's significantly older ex-partner has been charged with his murder, arson and stalking.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-15/coomera-house-fire-murder-charge-adam-marriott/100832920?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

Police lay murder charge over Gold Coast house fire body A 38-year-old man has been charged with deliberately lighting a fire that led to the discovery of 21-year-old Adam Marriott's body in a Coomera townhouse last week.

Yesterday was not a good day for survivors of sexual assault. A conviction being quashed does NOT mean that the assault did not occur. It means that there is often no justice for women who are sexually assaulted and that the system is re-traumatising for survivors.

Rates of conviction are extremely low in Australia, which has resulted in low reporting rates. Low reports + low convictions = perfect environment for perpetrators.

Perpetrators will often use the workplace to abuse their victims. Unfortunately, it is also common for the workplace to be unaware that this is occurring. There are simple steps that can be implemented to increase safety and reduce risk in the workplace.

Reach out to if your workplace would like to learn more about how to protect employees who are experiencing domestic & family violence.

Domestic & family violence is a complex issue requiring a specialist response.

If you have an employee experiencing abuse, refer them to a local DFV specialist support service. If the employee is being tracked or monitored, offer to have the support provided at or via the workplace.

Workplace DFV Tip # 3

Listen without judgement.

Let the person experiencing domestic and family violence know that the abuse is not their fault and respect their right to make their own decisions.

Workplace DFV Tip # 2

Information regarding an employee's experience of domestic and family violence should only be shared with relevant key staff members (HR Manager/security, etc).

Ensure you ask the employee who the information can be shared with and confirm what information can be shared.

This week, I will be sharing helpful tips to assist with responding respectfully and appropriately to disclosures of domestic and family violence (DFV) in the workplace.

This first tip is the most important. How we respond to victims of DFV sets the tone for the rest of their pathway to safety. If we are quick to dismiss, they may never speak of this abuse again. There is never an excuse for abuse.

A domestic and family violence workplace consultation provides a risk assessment, specialist advice and a step-by-step guide to taking action in your workplace. Peace of mind that you are doing all you can to increase the safety of all employees.

Call Tracey @ DVAlliance for further information 0466 937 051 or email [email protected].

This article on News.com.au is a lesson is how NOT to report on violence against women in the media.

No mention of O'Keefe's previous charges of domestic violence in 2021 but instead informs of the sale price of his home in North Bondi.

The incident involved allegations of strangulation. Strangulation is one of the highest risk indicators of domestic violence-related homicides.



https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/former-tv-host-andrew-okeefe-arrested-over-alleged-assault/news-story/7648de02c469f83a38313310bc0a1779

Former TV host Andrew O’Keefe arrested Former TV host Andrew O’Keefe has been arrested over the alleged assault of a woman.

"Women are expected to nod, smile, be silent and complicit. Women are expected to shoulder the burden of masking our emotions for the comfort of the other."

Not anymore. Women are demanding that respect be earned and for our voices to be heard. Be part of the change.



https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-young-women-aren-t-smiling-for-you-any-more-20220126-p59rd2.html

Why young women aren’t smiling for you any more Grace Tame’s appearance with the Prime Minister ought to remind us that polite formalities are no longer the concern of women.

The domestic and family violence crisis in our country continues at a horrific rate in 2022. Families, children and communities are left to deal with the trauma and grief.

8 year old Elizabeth Struhs was allegedly killed due to her parents withholding medical treatment because of their religious beliefs in Queensland.

Poonam Sharma and her 6 year old daughter Vanessa Sharma were allegedly murdered by their husband/father in Victoria.

A 45 year old woman was allegedly murdered by another woman who was known to her in South Australia.

9 year old Charlise Mutten was allegedly murdered by her step-father in New South Wales.

The loss of even one person due to domestic and family violence is devastating. The loss of this many women and girls is screaming at our society to stand up and take action.

Do you hear the call?
What action will you take?

Is your workplace open to offering support to employees experiencing domestic and family violence?

Unsure of where to start?

Providing domestic and family violence education within your organisation can start the conversation.

Enquire further by emailing [email protected].

2022 goal setting. Just one this year. Taking small steps towards it each and every day by working with socially conscious organisations proactively stepping up to make a difference and affect change.

Is taking action against domestic & family violence part of your workplace strategy for 2022?

For many workplaces, today is the first official business day of 2022. Due to the outbreak of Omicron, many workplaces will also have employees who are either isolating, quarantining or working from home.

For people who are in a domestic and family violence relationship, these periods of isolation often also mean an increase in the occurrences and severity of abuse.

If you are concerned about an employee and would like further advice, contact Tracey on 0466 937 051 or email [email protected].

Back at the desk and there are SO MANY REFERRALS...

We are in need of the following if you are able to help in any way:

💙 New Microwaves for the Home Set Ups, or perhaps you could sponsor the purchase of one for $48.

💙 $240 to pay for a new cot & linen for a soon-to-be new mama (high risk pregnancy so second hand is not an option here thanks)

💙 New Laundry supplies: washing baskets/powder, mops, brooms, new irons, pegs, dustpan... (in Brisbane & Gold Coast region)

💙 Your shares & likes to build our following to be able to support more families this year!

Thank you for your continued support of the very important work that we do, creating new beginnings for families devastated by domestic and family violence.

Please private message us for bank details if you can help 🙏🏼

When a survivor speaks up, don’t say, “Why didn’t she leave?”
Say:
We hear you.
We see you.
We believe you.
You are safe here.

A huge thank you to Troocoo for inviting Carolyn from Beyond DV and myself to begin the speaking to organisations about how they can take action against domestic and family violence in their workplace. We all have a role to play in taking action and we can all affect change.
Megan Kemp

Such a powerful message today on International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women. Let us remember to hear the voices of our indigenous women.

https://youtu.be/EwU64-keBaE

Yajilarra nhingi, mindija warrma (from dreams, let's make it reality) In the Bunuba language, Yajilarra nhingi, mindija warrma means ‘from dreams, let’s make it reality’. This animation captures the story of Wiyi Yani U Thangan...

Busy day today presenting online domestic and family violence awareness sessions to workplaces wanting to learn more about this issue and seeking guidance on how they can effect change.

I feel optimistic about cultural change in our society when organisations step up to take action and provide support to their employees. This is an issue that effects the whole of our society and the workplace is perfectly placed to take action.

**Warning - content contains sexual violence**

The content of this article is disturbing to say the least, but why was it not disturbing enough for bystanders to take action and help a woman being r***d in public?

My thoughts on this:
We do not have enough difficult conversations about sensitive topics. Silence and inaction is the ally of perpetrators.

If we spoke about domestic violence and sexual violence in society then we would not have bystanders paralysed by shock and fear. In this instance there was a group of bystanders and as a collective they could have intervened. Some bystanders' reaction was to film the incident.

We are not going to see change in our society if we can watch and ignore violence against women.

Up to 10 people saw a woman r***d on a Philadelphia train. Police say they did nothing US police say the r**e of a woman on a Philadelphia train could have been stopped if bystanders used their phones to call authorities. Some appeared to film it instead.