A month of action: Domestic and Family Violence Awareness Month
Posted on June 24th, 2024
May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention month.
For CatholicCare, May served as a poignant reminder of the ongoing need for education, resources and a united front to create lasting change and safer communities free from domestic and family violence.
Our Domestic and Family Violence Response and Court Support teams were at the front of advocacy efforts throughout the month, helping to drive the conversation and leading the way to a better, safer future for all individuals affected by domestic and family violence.
In Emerald, our team proudly led 40 supporters in the annual March Against Violence. The march highlighted the community’s solidarity and commitment to ending violence and supporting victim survivors. The powerful event was organised with the support of Central Highlands Regional Council, Queensland Police Service and Queensland Government.
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- Megan Edwards (left) and Georgina Sutton (right) from our Domestic and Family Violence team led the march through Emerald.
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- More than 40 people marched to show their commitment to ending violence within the Emerald community.
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- The march was supported by CatholicCare, Queensland Police Service and the Central Highlands Regional Council.
Domestic and Family Violence counsellor, Sophia Markovtzev, and Court Support Team Leader, Angel Tan, were invited to share their knowledge on coercive control and our Court Support Navigator Program at the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month Information Session. More than 40 people attended the event, including officials from the Department of Justice and Attorney-General and Councillor Marika Taylor, which was facilitated by Women’s Health Information & Referral Service Central Queensland. The event aimed to raise awareness of the prevalence of domestic and family violence and to send a clear message that violence was not welcome in our community. Presentations covered a variety of topics, ultimately showcasing the depth of experience, knowledge and motivation that exists within our community to facilitate meaningful change in the domestic and family violence field.
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- (left to right) Angel Tan, Team Leader Court Support Services and Sophia Markovtzev, Domestic and Family Violence Counsellor.
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- Sophia delivered an impactful presentation about coercive control.
Claire McAteer, General Manager of Social Services, and our Court Support team had the privilege of meeting with John Rouse, Interim Victims’ Commissioner, and Jen Headford, Director of Engagement at the Office of the Interim Victims’ Commissioner, in May. Our team discussed with John and Jen the importance of the Court Support Navigator Pilot program and highlighted how the work undertaken by our team within the Criminal Court space benefits victim survivors in Rockhampton. Following their meeting, Angel and Court Support Case Worker, Sammi Thompson, were invited to attend the office of the Commissioner in June to provide a presentation and case study to his team and to share our experiences of supporting victims in the Criminal Court space.
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- (left to right) Claire McAteer, General Manager of Social Services, John Rouse, Interim Victims’ Commissioner, Angel Tan, Court Support Team Leader and Sammi Thompson, Court Support Case Worker.
While work and advocacy in the domestic and family violence space is never confined to just a single month, it was encouraging to see so many community members unite during May to collectively say ‘enough is enough’.
There is no place for domestic and family violence, and we all have power to influence the change needed.
One life lost is too many.
If you or someone you know is experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic and family violence, there is help available:
DVConnect: 1800 811 811
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
CatholicCare Domestic and Family Violence Response: 07 4977 4107
