Media release
25 February 2016
Family Violence Death Review Report released today makes a number of critical points
Shine completely agrees with all findings in this report. Many of the points made in this report are delivered as key
messages within Shine training workshops for health and other professionals, including:
• there is a need to stop asking victims to keep themselves safe from abusive partners- practitioners need to
proactively make sure victims are safe
• there must be more focus on the person using violence, in addition to the victim –changing the behaviours of those
using violence is the most effective way to prevent family violence
• violence must be recognised as being not just physical – it is also carried out through control, coercion, and
intimidation. These behaviours trap victims.
Shine Client Services Director, Jill Proudfoot says, “Victims of domestic abuse will usually seek help first from those
they know best and trust the most, starting with friends and family, then perhaps their doctor or midwife, or someone
else in the community they trust. We need more people in the community to understand domestic abuse and be able to
provide safe, effective, and longer term support for victims so they get the help they need and are not forced to stay
in, or return to, an abusive relationship.”
The FVDRC report also talks about the crossover between intimate partner abuse and child abuse. This crossover is why
Shine has focused on building strong relationships with Child Youth and Family, including having several Advocates who
are based at CYF site offices and working in partnership with CYF social workers. Ms Proudfoot says, “It is absolutely
critical that, where there is a domestic abuse situation involving children, the risk to the children and the risk to
the adult victim must be looked at and addressed together.”
Finally, Shine is also very encouraged by the current cross-government focus on family violence with the Ministerial
Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence, led by Ministers Adams and Tolley. This Group has launched an ambitious
cross-government work programme.