Why country women are sitting ducks for DV predators

Women in regional NSW are “sitting ducks” compared to their sisters in the city because they face significantly more barriers to escaping from abusive partners, experts say.

Exclusive: Women in regional NSW are “sitting ducks” compared to their sisters in the city because they face significantly more barriers to escaping from abusive partners.

Stressed domestic violence workers said in some cases, particularly during natural disasters, women trying to escape an abusive partner will end up in a refuge — only to find the person they are running from accepted into the same refuge.

“You can’t hide out there. The next town could be 200km away, you can’t just flee, and the level of relief accommodation is next to zero in some towns across the state,” one worker said.

Domestic Violence NSW senior policy officer Dr Bridget Mottram said the problems are similar in all regional towns across NSW – and this week’s death of a young mum at Forbes is one of many constant reminders of the risks facing their clients.

Molly Ticehurst died, allegedly at the hands of her ex-partner, who was the subject of an AVO after being let out on bail on rape charges.

Mackenzie Anderson, who was allegedly murdered by her ex in Newcastle.

Bridget Mottram says women in rural town face greater barriers to getting help. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Daniel Billings, 29, was arrested on a property at Fifield, about an hour northwest of Forbes, and taken to Parkes Police Station.

Police will allege the 29-year-old travelled to Forbes, a location he had been expressly forbidden by the court from visiting, intending to kill Ms Ticehurst.

Fifteen days before Ms Ticehurst’s death, Billings had been given a conditional release after he was arrested on a string of charges on April 5.

Dr Mottram said the death of the 28-year-old mum had devastated not only her family and friends, but also the community, which includes Domestic Violence NSW’s domestic and family violence workers.

“The first people we think about when we hear about these horrible murders are the families and friends of the victim. The second people we think about are the workers of domestic and family violence services” she said.

“It’s a special type of devastation when you lose a client – not a family member or friend but someone you were working with and doing everything you could to help”.

The only answer is government funding – lots of it.

The crime scene at Young St, Forbes, where Molly Ticehurst was murdered. Picture: Hannah Hodgkinson

“Enough is enough. We are in a national emergency, and we need to respond as such. We need significant and sustained investment if we are going to shift the dial and save lives,” Dr Mottram said.

“The sad reality is people desperate to escape domestic violence in some regional towns have such limited options, they are completely vulnerable.

If you live in Sydney for example, you might be able to get from Newtown to Fairfield and feel safe while you get the help you need and plan your next move.

There are a lot of people, a lot of infrastructure in between and support services are more accessible.

“In country towns, there is often one bus out of town a day, and everyone knows who gets on and who gets off.

In some towns, police could be hundreds of kilometres away in the middle of the night, where there’s a police station every half-hour in the city.

“It’s that inability to hide in regional, rural, and remote areas, to get away, to get help, get out of danger to have time to think. The emergency accommodation is grossly lacking.

“These elements that are so core to a victim’s safety need to be not just taken into account, but the core focal point, when deciding bail.”

Domestic Violence NSW is the peak body for specialist domestic and family violence services in NSW, with more than 150 member organisations across NSW.

The organisation has called on the state government to increase its core funding by $852,000 per annum.

Molly Ticehurst was found dead at a home in Forbes last week.

How the Telegraph has campaigned against domestic violence, with it’s Evil in our Homes campaign.

It is also calling for a 20 per cent base funding increase to domestic and family violence services nationwide to keep up with the unrelenting demand, as well as for the NSW government to commit $40m for prevention.

“We need cultural and systemic change. We need to change the conversation everywhere, and in regional areas, we need to change those local pub conversations,” Dr Mottram said.

“We all have a role to play in what we say and how we act, and we want to bring men and boys into the conversation to be a part of the solution.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey, 21 per cent of women living outside of capital cities experience violence from an intimate partner, compared to 15 per cent living in capital cities.

Women in rural, regional and disaster affected areas are geographically isolated and often unable to locate suitable resources.

“The lack of appropriate, long term and affordable housing in NSW regional communities continues to remain at a crisis point, as social housing is limited and safe dwellings for victim-survivors are scarce,” Dr Mottram said.

“Regional workers have been crying out for support and funding for a long time and their cries have gone largely unanswered. We need change, and we need it now.”

‘You get ostracised in a small town if you speak out’

A mother whose daughter was stabbed more than 80 times, had her head stomped on and left to die on her front lawn has backed calls for electronic ankle bracelets to better track domestic violence offenders.

Tabitha Acret, who lost her daughter 21-year-old Mackenzie Anderson just over two years ago, said the monitoring would not only better protect victims but would give perpetrators a sense of the “stigma and shame” victims feel.

Tabitha Acret and her daughter Mackenzie Anderson, who was murdered when she was 21.

Mackenzie Anderson as a child.

“It annoys me that women have to hide, women have to move when the person in the wrong keeps all the freedoms,” Mrs Acret said.

“There was talk of the ankle bracelets but then nothing, I have heard nothing since.”

In 2022 then attorney-general Mark Speakman supported ankle bracelets for people subject to an AVO after previously being convicted for a DV offence.

Tyrone Thompson was given bail after he was arrested for assault, the day after he was released from prison for serious domestic violence offences against Mackenzie, his ex-girlfriend.

Two weeks later, police allege, he murdered Mackenzie.

He has pleaded not guilty and will stand trial next year.

Ms Acret said she was angry that more hasn’t been done to protect women.

Ms Acret’s comments come in the wake of the alleged murder of Molly Ticehurst.

Daniel Billings was granted bail by a court registrar before allegedly returning to Forbes and killing Ms Ticehurst.

Ms Acret said there were many misconceptions and stigma around domestic violence, including that the abuser can be charismatic and kind.

“Women are often faced with coming forward and hearing: ‘Oh, he seems really nice’ and then they retreat,” she said.

“It’s magnified in regional and rural towns where there is an even bigger stigma and often these people hurting their partners are well known in the community and the woman in need of help risks being ostracised if they are brave enough to speak out against someone popular.”