THE man stood in the halls of the Southport court barely able to string three words together. A dominating, fearful figure in his own home, he was a pale, bumbling mess. He was about to walk into a court room to listen to police request that a domestic violence order be placed on him. For 12 years, he had intimidated ... Read More »
Author Archives: Michael Crutcher
Early signs of abuse not overlooked, Centacare warns its not just about physical violence
THE first phone call to police came five months after her wedding. The woman sobbed that her new husband had bashed her. He had pushed her head into a wall repeatedly. She said she didn’t require medical treatment but she was frightened for her safety. Could police please visit her? When police arrived at the couple’s upmarket home, the woman’s ... Read More »
Non-lethal strangulation doubles the risk of domestic homicide, but isn’t always easy to see
ARCHDIOCESE of Brisbane frontline domestic violence workers have urged a closer focus on strangulation in a bid to lower the number of fatalities in Queensland homes. Centacare’s Family and Relationships Services say any evidence of non-lethal strangulation places a victim immediately in a “high-risk” domestic violence situation. Their urgings are supported by a State Government advisory board that has issued ... Read More »
Brisbane Archdiocese joins forces with Youngcare to build new accessible housing at North Lakes
A FEW suburbs from where he grew up, Fr Bryan Roe stands on soil that will become home to some young Queenslanders in desperate need. Fr Roe knows their plight – he was once a teenage tennis star on the path to a famous professional career. Within 24 hours, he was paralysed and in need of high physical care. It ... Read More »
Centacare promises to help survivors of domestic and family violence
FOR years, domestic violence trapped the woman like a fog that wouldn’t lift. Every part of her life, from home to work and her relationship with her teenage son, had been impacted by her abusive partner. He was physically violent and he was emotionally abusive. He would monitor the odometer on the car to know how far his partner had ... Read More »
Domestic violence strangulation cases rising in southeast Queensland
ANTI-domestic violence experts have called for more education on the signs of strangulation as police cope with new cases sparked by a change in legislation. The introduction of non-fatal strangulation to the Queensland criminal code in 2016 has resulted in more than 1400 reported offences. More than half of those were in southeast Queensland. The law was introduced from the ... Read More »
Children and domestic violence: ‘There is never any harm in seeking support’
PARENTS are being advised to reach out for professional help if they are worried that children have been affected by domestic and family violence. Some counsellors warn that the effects may not be easy to recognise particularly for stressed parents coping with the strain of an abusive relationship and the demands of raising children. Centacare executive director Peter Selwood said ... Read More »
Domestic violence: How perpetrators use technology and social media to track their victims
POLICE and domestic violence workers were baffled by one case – how did the abusive partner of a woman keep tracking her and her children in emergency accommodation? The authorities thought they had done all that was needed. They had provided the woman with a new mobile phone. They had assessed all of her online usage to determine whether there ... Read More »
Social media research: Young teenage girls are sending 100 text messages while their parents are sleeping
HAVE you heard the story about the teenage girl who sends 100 text messages a night when her parents are asleep? It won’t be a surprise to some who have looked closely at the effects social media is having on teenage girls. A panel of experts will discuss the topic on Sunday (October 9) when Brisbane’s Mothers of Only Girls ... Read More »