SHOCKING. Confronting. Horrific.
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The graphic picture of Carly* on the front page of The Border Mail is all of these things but for too long the issue of violence against women has stayed behind closed doors and the victims have remained silent and faceless.
It can no longer be ignored. We make no apologies if the picture makes you uncomfortable.
Use this as an opportunity to start a conversation with your father, brother or son that violence against women is not OK. It’s time to take a stand.
Carly’s story highlights the shortfalls of apprehended violence orders and shows why they aren’t a perfect solution.
“An AVO isn’t bars – an AVO only helps with a better sentencing when it comes to court, when it’s too late,” she says.
“Next time, he’s going to finish the job and no piece of paper is going to stop that.”
It’s a shocking state of affairs that, in 2017, women can still feel this way.
Unfortunately, though, the stats back up her argument.
Alarming figures from White Ribbon show that one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence by someone known to them over their lifetime.
Even worse, on average, one woman every week will be killed by a current or former partner.
In Albury last year, there were 262 domestic violence-related assaults. That’s more than five assaults a week happening right under our noses.
There’s no doubt the majority of men in our community are good men but clearly there is more work to be done.
The Border region has been privileged in the past year to have passionate anti-violence campaigners Dr Ann O’Neill and Phil Cleary on our doorstep, encouraging us all to take action if we something that’s not right.
There’s no use making a song and dance about the effectiveness of apprehended violence orders unless we’re doing something to eliminate the cause of the problem, which is violence against women.
“I’ve already received judgment from people saying things like, ‘why do you choose to hang around people like this?’, like I put myself in this situation,” Carly says.
“At the end of the day, that needs to change.
“Victims need to be looked after, nurtured, and not forced to uproot their lives.”
Too right. It starts with you.