Warning on growing use of illegal drugs to trap women in domestic violence

SA women are being increasingly introduced to addictive and harmful drugs by their partners to prevent them from leaving abusive relationships.

• Counsellors brace for 15,600 calls from domestic violence victims
• Lauren Novak: threats, demanding sex alarming but not uncommon

Illicit drugs are increasingly being used to trap women in abusive relationships, frontline workers warn.

Centacare says it is seeing more women who have been drugged and assaulted by a partner or introduced to drugs so they become dependent and won’t leave an abusive relationship.

SA Police analysis shows substance abuse is reported as an ongoing issue in 55 per cent of high risk domestic violence cases.

Experts stress that substance abuse does not cause violence against women - which is largely driven by disrespect - but it can exacerbate abuse.

Centacare workers in regional areas say more women are seeking help for alcohol or drug addiction, and reporting abusive partners who are also using.

“Sometimes women cannot remember being sexually abused and think they have been drugged on a regular basis,” Centacare Riverland Domestic Violence Service manager Samantha McKay said.

“Occasionally we will see women deal (drugs) for the perpetrator but more often we see women wanting to (try to) fix the domestic violence by doing what the perpetrator wants them to do. That may mean prostituting … to acquire drugs.”

Ms McKay also saw women who were stuck in poverty because their abusers wasted their income on drugs.

Centacare Murray Mallee and Adelaide Hills Domestic Violence Service manager Gayle Tourish said some abusive partners used “intoxication as an excuse for domestic violence”.

“In addition to women becoming dependent on the abuser to support their addiction, this exacerbates their sense of shame,” she said.

That shame could also put women off reporting abuse to police.

Police analysis has revealed cannabis use in about 75 per cent of domestic violence cases where drugs are a factor.

The remaining quarter could involve methamphetamine, opioids or other illicit drugs but police are unable to provide a breakdown.

Detective Superintendent Mark Wieszyk said SA Police had “started looking at that to try and get better figures”.

Abuse survivor Rhi told The Advertiser how her ex-partner’s dependence on marijuana exacerbated his behaviour.

“If he was running out of it or I wouldn’t give him money to buy it that would escalate (the violence),” said Rhi, who did not want to give her surname.

“He would just use it as an excuse.

“I don’t think people should hide behind drug use but it definitely plays a part in how bad (the abuse) can be.”

For support phone 1800 RESPECT.