00:04When Stella Magna Salas walked out of court 12 months ago, she felt relieved to have achieved
00:09justice for her and her daughter.
00:12I thought, if he's going to kill me, she will be left with him, I have to do something different
00:19and that was my driving force.
00:21Her ex-husband, a police officer for 12 years, Matthew Allen Thompson, was sentenced to two
00:27years and three months jail after admitting to six assaults over five years, but he was
00:33given a non-parole period of 12 months and he's now applied to be released.
00:38What would you say to the parole board when they're considering his application?
00:42To serve his entire term in prison is a risk to society, period.
00:51After Stella Magna Salas met Thompson in 2013, she was repeatedly threatened, degraded and
00:57bashed, leaving her fearful for her life.
01:00Curling up into a ball, stomping on my head.
01:05And all I remember is just asking him to stop, to please stop.
01:12And I remember saying that I'm sorry.
01:15In a statement, SA Police says it's progressing domestic and family violence reforms, including
01:20enhancing policy, training, practice and oversight.
01:24Ms Magna Salas says she's struggled to navigate the corrections and parole systems to find out
01:29when Thompson could be released.
01:31She's advocating for trauma informed policies to be at the centre of domestic violence reforms,
01:37and wants the recommendations of last year's Royal Commission to be addressed.
01:41I have my daughter, she keeps me on my toes, she keeps me on track.
01:47And we bounce off of each other and ensures me that I'm using this as a platform for others.
01:57So I'm hopeful.
01:58The parole board says Thompson is currently completing a domestic and family violence
02:03intervention program.
02:04Any parole decision is not expected until at least mid-October.
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