DV Safe Phones launches collection drive as family violence offence figures double in Toowoomba

When an abuser turns on his partner, her phone is often the first thing he will hide or destroy – robbing her of an easy escape. Now a Toowoomba charity is collecting second-hand phones to help them reach a refuge when it is time to escape.

When an abuser turns on his partner, her phone is often the first thing he will hide or destroy – robbing her of an easy escape.

If she makes it out the door with her phone, there’s a chance her controlling partner has tracking software enabled and can trace her movements.

Now in an effort to break this cycle of control, the Toowoomba West Lions Club is collecting second hand phones for the DV Safe Phone charity.

Having started at the Sunshine Coast, the charity gathers second-hand phones, repairs and refits them and loads them up with credit.

Robyn Bishop of Lions Toowoomba West encourages people to drop in their unused phones for program DV Safe Phone. Picture: Kevin Farmer

They are then provided to police, paramedics and social workers who pass them on in secret to women and children in abusive families, so they have a secure channel to call for help when it is time to flee.

Toowoomba West Lion Robyn Bishop put her hand up to collect phones in Toowoomba and said the service was vital.

“Woman and families need a safe phone so they can make a lifeline call if they need,” she said.

“There are lots of people who have old phones laying around their home that are not being used, and we need to get as many of them out of their drawers and to DV Safe Phones as we can.”

“They need 1000 phones a month for victims and one woman every four days is lost to domestic violence.”

Toowoomba West Lions Club member Robyn Bishop with Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki are calling on community members to donate their old phone to DV Safe Phones so they can help victims flee abusive homes.

The Lions have placed collection boxes at the HumeRidge Church of Christ, The Department of Transport offices, Fernwood Fitness, the Armstrong Jeep dealership, WOTSO Toowoomba and Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki’s electorate office at the Bernoff Centre.

Mr Janetzki urged anyone with a used phone to donate it to DV Safe Phones.

“A charity like this plays a vital role in the future of protecting women and children fleeing domestic violence.

“Family and domestic violence has never been worse in Queensland and you see that in the sharp escalation in domestic violence protection order breaches.

“They have escalated across Queensland, while in Toowoomba they have nearly doubled in the past four years.

“There is significant danger to women and children in too many homes across our region.”

In the past decade DVO breaches in Toowoomba shot up from 501 in 2013-14 to 1406 in 2022-23.

For the wider Darling Downs that number has increased from 1095 ten years ago to 2929 last year.

It is a spike that is putting greater pressure on our police and ambulance, along with our hospitals and social services.

Mr Janetzki said any move to help families flee was welcomed.

“DV Safe Phone is a practical solution to a horrific problem and I encourage you, if you have a phone lying around you home, bring them into a centre and crop them off.”

Click here to donate or find your nears collection point.