Minister announces `safer pathway’ to tackle domestic violence
THE State Government Minister charged with curbing the scourge of domestic violence Pru Goward announced a new one-stop-shop approach to tackling the issue at Terrigal on Tuesday.
Central Coast
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THE State Government Minister charged with curbing the scourge of domestic violence Pru Goward announced a new one-stop-shop approach to tackling the issue at Terrigal on Tuesday.
The “Safer Pathway” program will be rolled out across the state in March and involves a co-ordinated approach by all the various government and non-government agencies, such as the police, NSW Health, Corrections, Family and Community Services, emergency housing and counselling providers.
The idea is to provide victims a single point to access the help they need.
It comes just a week after young mum Blair Dalton, 35, was choked to death by her ex-boyfriend Lance Michael Pearce at Ettalong.
The 34-year-old man from St Clair in Sydney’s west died the day after her family made the heart wrenching decision to turn off her life support system by choking on a plastic-wrapped chicken sandwich while in custody.
It is understood Pearce, from St Clair, was placed on suicide watch when he was admitted into jail.
However his lifeless body was found inside his Silverwater cell after breakfast. Police are investigating the death as a suicide.
Ms Goward said the Safer Pathway program would mean women would not have to tell their story “over and over” as they were bounced between various agencies who respond to incidents of family violence or while seeking help.
“My hope for the Central Coast, which last year had 680 incidents of domestic violence assault, is that through this work that women are safe, that women get to court, that women don’t get driven back into the arms of the abuser because there is nobody offering her the right assistance,” she said.
The government has committed more than $50 million over four years to set up the Safer Pathway program, which will be co-ordinated by the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service.
It also had to changed privacy laws to enable the various agencies to share information and identify “high risk” victims and their offenders.
Ms Blair’s murder was one of three domestic related deaths across NSW in the space of five days.
“I think every death is a tragedy and these deaths in the past week have been particularly harrowing,” Ms Goward said.
Anyone needing support can call:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Mensline Australia: 1300 78 99 78
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
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