Cairns crimes: How psychological scars and trauma affect home invasion, burglary victims

The full psychological impact on victims of home invasions across the Far North has been laid bare, with frightening scars lingering long after the crime has been committed.

THE full psychological effects on victims of home invasions across the Far North has been laid bare, with the frightening scars lingering long after the crime has been committed.

Cairns victims who have suffered the indignity and terror of waking to an intruder lurking in the shadows as they slept have spoken of the ongoing trauma the offences can cause, with one psychologist reporting the impact can be similar to women who have been raped.

Cairns resident Cameron Borg said his family had sought therapy and were “still scared to live in their own home” following a horrifying home invasion at their Mt Sheridan property in January.

One psychologist has reported that the impact of ongoing trauma on home invasion victims can be similar to women who have been raped.

His parents woke to find their vehicles stolen and belongings ransacked in a “disgusting invasion of privacy” that is still haunting them three months on.

“My mum still has nights where she can’t sleep and is terrified,” he said.

“She gets up in the night to make sure the house is locked and there is no one around.

“The lingering effects have been severe.”

His cousin, who was also home when the intrusion occurred, has sought treatment to deal with panic attacks.

“She has suffered severe anxiety from it, she is having to see a therapist,” he said.

“She just can’t deal with what happened, she gets very anxious to the point she is having panic attacks.

“It’s really bad.”

The Borg family vehicles that were stolen. Mazda 2 rego 770 XJY (left) and Toyota Yaris rego 599 YYZ (right). Picture: Supplied by Cameron Borg.

Cairns psychologist Crispian Jones of Seachange Psychology said forced entries and burglaries were often “extremely traumatic” for the victims due to their gross, intrusive nature.

“A lot of people, particularly women, feel like they have been raped,” he said.

“It is a very personal invasion.

“Then you get things like denial, anger, fear, sadness, shame, confusion, anxiety and depression, and a kind of numbness, which is part of the grieving process.

“There is guilt, hopelessness, helplessness, irritability and all those sort of feelings, they are very typical.”

It comes as White Rock resident Rainee Nicholls said she felt “really violated” after her home was broken into on a wet night last month.

Her niece, living in a different suburb, was also a victim of a brazen theft the same night.

The incidents have not been isolated to Cairns, with many reported in smaller rural towns such as Innisfail, Atherton, Mossman and Port Douglas.

Home invasions are a gross intrusion of privacy and personal safety, which can have lasting psychological affects.

Port Douglas Officer in Charge Damien Meadows, who has attended countless robberies in the seaside town, said the true cost of the crime is often psychological, rather than the loss of property and assets.

“It’s a massive invasion on people’s privacy and the old saying a man’s home is his castle rings true, because that’s your space,” he said.

“The only people that should come into that space are people you invite into that space.

“So when somebody does take an opportunity to force an entry into your home it has a significant psychological effect on the victims of that crime.

Port Douglas Police Officer in Charge Damian Meadows said the trauma associated with forced entries can be profound for victims.

“It’s the lingering effects and the disruption it causes to people’s lives.”

Dr Jones encouraged anyone dealing with trauma to seek professional treatment as quickly as possible.
Senior Sergeant Meadows said the Queensland Police service had programs in place for victims of crime and referred them to counselling services.

Mr Borg said the crime problem in Cairns “was ridiculous”.

“Melbourne is a city of five million people yet I feel safer walking around Melbourne at 3am than I do around Cairns,” he said.

“It is ridiculous, it shouldn’t be like this. The amount of crime that is happening is not normal.”

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Originally published as Cairns crimes: How psychological scars and trauma affect home invasion, burglary victims