The President of our governing Body, the Queensland Law Society (QLS), recently published an article containing some alarming statistics concerning domestic violence in our community, including:

• On average at least one woman a week is killed by their current or former partner in Australia;
• One in three Australian woman has experienced physical violence since the age of 15;
• One in five Australian women experienced sexual violence;
• One in four Australian women experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner;
• More than one half of those women who experienced violence had the care of children under the age of 18 years;
• Domestic or Family Violence against women is the single largest driver of homelessness for women and children;
• Domestic or Family Violence against women results in a call to Police every two minutes across the country; and
• The cost of Domestic or Family Violence against women is estimated to cost Australian tax payers $21.7 billion each year.

Cassie Jaye in a recent television interview discussing her documentary The Red Pill, which advocates the Men’s Rights movement in the United States, contended that Australia was the only country where the film was met with such controversy.  The rate of depression and suicide amongst men is a significant issue in Australia and has been the subject of an earlier article on this website, however the backlash against the Documentary is not surprising given the statistics set out above and the focus which has been placed on domestic violence in Australia particularly in the past two or three years.

Women are overwhelmingly the victims of domestic and family violence – but this is a problem which impacts both genders.  If you are a father of a daughter, a brother to a sister, an uncle to a niece –  if the statistics are not reversed, then it is likely that your daughter, sister, niece will be a victim.  Stand up, condemn it publicly and at home, and in the community lead by example.  Provision of funding to front line services will benefit those victims who are in immediate need of assistance, but it will not resolve the core issue.  A shift in behaviour and community attitude is the only way to solve the problem.

The President of the QLS comments that the significant work undertaken at State Government level, in consultation with the QLS, is only the beginning.  That plainly goes without saying.  But the solution is even more in the hands of the community… so let’s (Men and Women) get to work!

Evans and Company Family Lawyers regularly support local Gold Coast organisations who assist those victims of domestic violence.  We are also here to provide legal advice to those impacted by domestic and family violence.