Paul Weston: Why the young girlfriends of gang members never get to break free from the bikies

SHELSEA Schilling had a lot of good friends ... but a line is crossed when you get caught up with others outside your workplace as they step forward into the criminal world.

Shelsea Schilling (left), 2013, posted to Facebook

SHELSEA Schilling had a lot of good friends in school, and later in the working world of retailing. Good people who liked her, so much laughter at her work there.

But a line is crossed when you get caught up with others outside your workplace as they step forward into the criminal world.

Her first step towards that world was her relationship with former partner Bronson Ellery, the Lizard Man linked to bikies and convicted drug user known to police.

Their sad story, the discovery of both their bodies at Mr Ellery’s Southport apartment, is at the heart of a concerning Gold Coast youth culture.

Among all the rubbish and speculation on Facebook in the past week, a single consistent thread has emerged among the talk between parents. They’ve asked why do girls become attracted to bad boys.

Where are the answers to this? An old copper not tied to the office desk and close to the street might know. Or perhaps a teacher not numbed from the bureaucracy and still reaching out to troubled kids.

The copper will tell you about other recent cases — not the deaths of Ms Schilling or Mr Ellery — where glamorous girlfriends of bikies arrive at the Southport Courthouse.

“The bikies creed is you never leave. The same holds true for those girls,” the copper says.

“They hold in their heart a chest of secrets about their partners. That’s why they can never leave. The lifestyle of bikies is one of affluence, they become experienced drug users, particularly coke.”

But how do they get to cross that line? In the case of Ms Schilling, the line is to make the choice to be partnered to the most tattooed man on the Coast.

Former bikie Bronson Ellery, 24, and his ex-partner Shelsea Schilling, 20. (AAP Image/Twitter)

The educator will suggest going to the root cause. They will begin by asking why does someone need to take the path beyond the norm.

Retrace their childhood, check for some trauma and then provide them with help, the educator suggests.

So there is the one consistent chapter relating to Shelsea Schilling and some of these other young women who have taken this journey.

Everyone in their office or their shop, they are hoping you will meet the good guy to take you away from all of this.

They are encouraging that new boyfriend. They have hope this will be your moving on, to break free.

They can see your strength, leaving everyone, not giving out your telephone number or address.

But when you cross that line of criminality, simply by a relationship with a bikie or a drug user, your good friends and even your family will not go there even if they could.

You will have changed your job, moved locations, got out of the Coast for awhile and all along lost your friends and finally contact with your parents.

Those close to you who choose to maintain some sort of contact risk being assaulted, their families placed in danger and their reputations damaged by association.

You may be able to access a shelter and recent legal reforms ensure police will sign off on a domestic violence order. Despite all of this, you will be alone.

“How can you run away from a national outlaw motorcycle gang,” the old copper says.

Can anyone teach this to young girls in schools? Is it the responsibility of teachers? How and who should tell someone about values and “crossing the line”?

Our youth grow up aware of the shadows cast by the Glitter Strip.

Yet many of them remain ignorant that when you attempt to escape those in the shadows, their dark world will attempt to come back and claim you.

You could lose a life of so much promise. Laughter will be lost to tears of regret among those who love you. Imagine it, you are just a small step forward from celebrating your 21st.