A multilingual campaign has been launched in Victoria to combat an alarming spike in the number of domestic violence incidents during the coronavirus pandemic.
A major hospital has reported emergency cases have doubled while police checks have detected more than 700 offences in just a month.
Victoria's Prevention of Family Violence minister Gabrielle Williams says the new Respect Each Other campaign urges victims and bystanders alike to call out domestic violence.
"That might be neighbours or those who are encountering incidents that don't feel right to give them some guidance on what they can do to assist,” she said.
She says it's a message designed to span the cultural and linguistic spectrum.
“There's six languages that it will be running on radio... It's hugely important to make sure that this message reaches as many in the community as we possibly can,” she said.
Family violence doesn't discriminate between languages or cultures or socio-economics so it's important we put this out on as many channels as we can to ensure people know there is support available to them."
It follows the Federal Government's launch this week of a national awareness campaign for people experiencing violence to ensure they know where to get help during the pandemic.
The evidence of an upsurge since the lockdown began is all too telling.
Recent figures show help line 1800RESPECT has had a 20 per cent increase in people accessing support online, with about 9 per cent directly related to COVID-19.
National Program Manager Melonie Sheehan says there's been a shift in how and when people contact them with many now seeking help online at night.
"People do feel trapped. People are feeling triggered by living in a household and also some people are not safe because they are living in an environment with someone or are being socially isolated in an environment with someone who chooses to use violence,” she said.
And there are any victims flooding emergency departments.
St Vincent’s, one of Melbourne's biggest hospitals, has reported a doubling in family-violence related presentations while almost 2,500 police checks on homes over the past month have identified more than 780 offences being committed.
Victoria's Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says more resources have been devoted to tackling family violence in the lockdown because there's less crime elsewhere.
The numbers highlight the dangers faced by all too many in the supposed safety of their own home.
"We have just ticked over 100 cases where we have had charges and remands in relation to criminal offending, so the offending has been of such a nature that we have actually sought remanding of the offenders in custody,” he said.
If you or someone you know is impacted by family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds who are experiencing family or domestic violence in Victoria can contact inTouch, the Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence on 1800 755 988 or visit .
***
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
