Phones are lethal weapons in DV scourge: Ex-cop calls for new laws

“When the iPhone arrived, abusers gained control not just of homes, but of phones, accounts, and entire realities,” says a veteran officer who survived abuse herself.

A former police officer has joined a multitude of domestic violence advocates in demanding the federal Labor Party match a Coalition pledge to criminalise the use of phones or computers to intimidate, scare, spy on or track an intimate partner.

The call comes as pressure mounts on politicians to invest real dollars in women’s safety and get serous about keeping violent domestic violence offenders behind bars in the wake of the murder of 19-year-old Audrey Griffin.

Her killer Adrian Torrens, a random stranger who has since died by suicide, had an extensive rap sheet that included repeated domestic violence offences.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced this week that anyone using technology in this sinister against their partners or ex-partners would be charged under the new offences and face “tough new bail laws”.

Former police officer Pip Rae witnessed first-hand how domestic violence evolved alongside technology. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Pip Rae, a survivor of domestic violence and a tech abuse specialist, said that as a former police officer, she witnessed how domestic violence evolved alongside technology.

“When the iPhone came in, it changed everything. Abusers didn’t just control their victim’s home, they now controlled their phone, their accounts and complete sense of reality. This is when we started seeing 100 per cent of DV cases involving an aspect of technology facilitated abuse.

“In 50 per cent of cases, most victims didn’t even know they were being abused, they just had a sense that something was off.”

Ms Rae said one case will be forever etched in her mind, where a perpetrator had installed security systems throughout the house to monitor his partner remotely: “She only worked it out after he moved out, when she discovered him connected to her Bluetooth within 30m of the house.”

Founder of DV Safe Phone Ashton Wood said Labor must match the Coalition pledge.

“With more than one in three Australians having experienced technology facilitated abuse in an intimate partner relationship, this law is a critical step toward addressing the technological abuse at the heart of Australia’s domestic violence crisis,” he said.

He also urged people to donate a phone for re-purposing to help victims plan safe exits and have access to support.

“There are countless Australians crying out for help, and that’s why we’ve set the goal of distributing 20,000 phones by 2026,” he said.

The DV Safe Phone program has repaired, repurposed and gifted close to 12000 safe phones to victims of domestic violence. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Wood had said seen an increased demand for safe phones year-on-year, and over the last twelve months, the demand for safe phones has exceeded the number of phones donated in five states and territories.

He urged people to donate a phone for re-purposing to help victims plan safe exits and have access to support.

“We have been doing this work at DV Safe Phone for five years, and it is bittersweet to know that despite all the change we have seen, our work is still necessary. Since our launch we have repaired, repurposed and gifted close to 12,000 safe phones to domestic violence victims through our agency partners, but we know the need continues.”

“As Australians become more aware of the dangers of coercive control as a form of domestic violence, we’ve seen the number of phones donated increase every year. We are profoundly grateful for having received over 32,000 phones; however, the truth is we need more.

“There are countless Australians crying out for help, and that’s why we’ve set the goal of distributing 20,000 phones by 2026.”