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STEP OUT : prevent family violence
A family violence prevention worker in Shepparton says it is harder for victims to make the decision to leave a violent situation in the current pandemic.
But Betul Tuna, who works as a family violence prevention project officer at the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District, said she had helped more victim survivors leave violent situations this year than any year before.
Detective Senior Sergeant David Bowler, who leads the family violence investigation unit and Shepparton sexual offences and child abuse unit, said the pandemic had presented many challenges, but they had adapted to continue to do face-to-face visits.
New requirements had been implemented, such as wearing PPE gear, maintaining social distance, and strict hygiene requirements.
Decision to leave difficult for CALD communities
Ms Tuna said the decision to leave could be even harder for victim survivors within culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
She said there could be trust issues with authorities and complexities with visas that could make it harder for victim survivors to report the perpetrator.
“I’ve worked with women from CALD backgrounds saying, ‘I can’t report him’,” she said. “And I say, ‘Why?’ and they say, ‘In Australia they already have a lot of pressure on them, how can I report him and make him look like he’s just a part of that problem?’.”
According to the Crime Statistics Agency COVID-19 family violence data portal, the Department of Home Affairs recorded a 49 per cent increase in the number of domestic violence claims made by Victorian residents on provisional partner visas in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of 2019.
Senior Sergeant Bowler said they had resources to help members of CALD communities.