Say No to Domestic and Family Violence Walk in Goulburn

Goulburn police officer in charge, Inspector Watt speaking at the Domestic and Family Violence Walk in Goulburn on Friday, November 29.

Transcript

00:00We as a community need to stand up and say that this kind of crime isn't

00:03acceptable and to educate the community about respectful relationships. It starts

00:09with us. It starts with a conversation with family and friends. It starts with

00:14having a conversation with our youth and educating them on this topic. I would

00:18like to highlight that this year's 16 Days of Activism aims to draw attention

00:22to animal abuse and the threat of harm to a domestic pet to close to be

00:26controlled partner. We know that pets are part of the family. It's estimated

00:31that pets are likely to be present in 70% of

00:35domestic and family violence cases. In many cases, domestic violence offenders

00:41will also target animals. Animals can be used to intimidate or coerce victims to

00:46keep someone in a relationship, lure them back home or punish them for leaving. For

00:52victim survivors, the connection to animals can also make it harder to leave

00:55a violent situation. Thank you to Anglicare and Rotary for

00:59organising this walk and everyone in attendance. Domestic pet and family

01:03violence victims do not have to do it alone. Everyone here today is showing

01:07exactly that and reinforcing that everyone should feel safe.