36.8 % of homelessness in Australia (as documented by Homelessness Australia with data from the AIHW Specialist homelessness services data collection 2012-13) is caused by domestic and family violence. This is the most common cause.
Since February this year in just Melbourne alone, there have been 3 high profile cases of domestic violence leading to murder (Luke Batty, a women stabbed to death in Sunshine and 2 sisters murdered). These tragic events serve as an alarm siren for us in Australia to bring about change.
The Age, are calling it the Family Violence epidemic, and Fiona McCormack, the head of Domestic Violence Victoria, said more needed to be done for at-risk women and children.
“If women and children were being abused and murdered by strangers at the rate at which they’re being abused and murdered by men in their family, there’d be taskforce, there’d be funding, there’d be political will”
The Lookout is a great place to go, for more info, help and support with this issue.
Lets talk about this issue and bring some light into this dark hidden place in Australian family life.