By Alesha Capone
EVERY month last year, the Brimbank Family Violence Support Team received around 70 calls– an average of two per day.
The team’s Acting Sergeant Sue Miller spoke to Star last week, along with Sergeant Di Ashwell, family violence advisor for Victoria Police’s North-West metropolitan region, which covers 14 municipalities including Brimbank, Melton, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Wyndham and Hume.
“In a lot of jobs we go to, alcohol is a factor. Nearly half involve alcohol and drugs,” Sgt Ashwell said.
The two policewomen said they had recently seen an increasing trend in domestic violence, of middle-aged children living at home being violent towards their parents.
A recent case Acting Sgt Miller experienced involved a 79-year-old mother, who called police when her 50-year-old son verbally abused her and waved a knife at his brother.
But family violence can involve people of all ages – another recent incident involved a girl and her ex-boyfriend, aged 17.
The young man was served with an intervention order, after he held a pair of scissors to the girl’s neck at Watergardens train station, then walked down Fox St and went to punch her face, but was stopped by a passer-by.
In yet another incident, a mother of four children in a lesbian relationship was “beaten black and blue” and sustained a fractured nose, after being attacked by her female partner.
Sgt Ashwell said family violence could involve emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual abuse, but another emerging trend was “mobile phone stalking”.
“Some men do horrific things, almost beat their partners to death; I’ve had one lady who had boiling water thrown over her, so she’s scarred for life,” Sgt Ashwell said.
The two policewomen said some women were surprised to find out family violence was illegal and it was hard to leave abusive partners.
She encouraged anyone experiencing family violence to contact Women’s Health West on 9689 9588 or the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Services of Victoria on 1800 015 188.
