CHILLING threats to burn women alive are increasing in Queensland homes as violent perpetrators use media coverage of Queensland’s worst domestic violence murders to instil fear.
Centacare’s domestic violence counsellors have noticed more reports of women revealing that their partners have threatened them with a similar fate to the much-loved Hannah Clarke and her children and Kelly Wilkinson. Ms Wilkinson’s death on the Gold Coast in April – following on from Ms Clarke’s devastating loss in Brisbane a year earlier – received heavy media coverage as Australians came to term with the murders.
Centacare has issued fire blankets and fire extinguishers to some women terrified that their partners will make good on their threats to mimic the brutal deaths.
“We hear stories of perpetrators saying to women: ‘Did you see what happened on the news – that’s going to happen to you’,” Centacare Maroochydore Family and Relationship Services Coordinator Stacy Oehlman said.
“We hear this directly from women and it’s chilling.”
Centacare receives State and Federal Government funding that allows it to provide some assistance for women and children who are unsafe.
“We’ve certainly provided more fire blankets, fire extinguishers and personal alarms in recent times,” Ms Oehlman said. “The additional one-off funding received during COVID also assisted us to provide security cameras that have captured evidence to support criminal charges for those who are breaching domestic violence orders”.
Centacare meets with women to learn more about their situation including the threats made against them.
“We work with the client to assess the threat, including how capable she feels that he may be in carrying the threat out. And that includes looking at the wider picture,” Ms Oehlman said.
“Is there a matter before the Family Law Court? Has he carried out threats before? We need to gather as much information as we can. Her view on how serious the threat is, is extremely important.”
The impact of COVID last year led to an increase in Government funding for emergency measures for domestic violence victims, which was gratefully accepted by and distributed by support services.
But those funds were quickly exhausted, leading to a wish-list for the special COVID funding to become permanent.
Centacare’s Executive Director Peter Selwood said his organisation was grateful for the Government’s ongoing commitment.
“More money was distributed during COVID and it was directed to very grateful women,” Mr Selwood said.
“Domestic violence services have seen what that extra funding has done and it would be great for it to continue because it is so needed.
“The extra funding for domestic violence victims plays an incredibly important role in helping to keep Queensland families safe.”
