Family violence
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If you need support to escape domestic violence:
DV Connect (24 hours, 7 days a week)
Men phone 1800 600 636
Women phone 1800 811 811
www.dvconnect.org.au
For free legal help:
Legal Aid Queensland
Phone 1300 65 11 88 (for the cost of a local call from a landline in Australia)
www.legalaid.qld.gov.au
Community Legal Centres Queensland
Phone 07 3392 0092
www.communitylegalqld.org.au
Or look under “Community Legal Centres” in your local phone book.
For free help with domestic violence and migration issues
Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS)
Phone (07) 3846 9300
www.rails.org.au
If you need an interpreter to help you contact a service phone TIS 131 450
Activity sheets for this story:
Video transcript
Title: Family violence
Nabeeh: You missed three goals Ram. What’s wrong?
Ram: Oh, my sister Radha just called. She’s having problems with her husband and wants to stay with us tonight. She’s scared of him.
Nabeeh: How come she’s scared?
Ram: Well, he gets angry. He says she spends too much of his money. He won’t give her enough money to buy food, he doesn’t like her cooking. He throws things around the house and sometimes he hits her. I don’t know what to do or say.
Nabeeh: What did you say to her?
Ram: Well, I told her he’s her husband and she has to stay with him, she has to do what he says and then he won’t be so angry. But...now I’m worried about her.
Nabeeh: My cousin beat up his wife badly when she was pregnant.
Ram: What!?
Nabeeh: I feel really bad because when she asked for help I told her, ‘Just be a good wife and it will be OK.’
Ram: So what should I do?
Nabeeh: Go and talk to your sister. Tell her what he is doing is wrong. He has no right to hit her. Make sure she has a safe place to go.
Alternative voiceover for Northern Territory only:
Nabeeh: You have to take this seriously. The law says you must tell police if you think someone has hurt or will hurt a family member.
Ram: But if I tell the police now it will make everything worse.
Nabeeh: Wait until it is safe for you and your sister.
A few weeks later.
Radha: He hit me again. I’m scared.
Lakshmi: It is too dangerous at your house. You and the children can come and stay with us. Why don’t we call a domestic violence service and ask what we should do next?
Radha: They told me I should get an order telling him to stop. They said I could get help from the police or legal aid. What do you think?
Lakshmi: Let’s go to the police now and talk to them.
Radha: Good.
Radha: Can you help me? My husband hit me.
Police officer: We can help you get an order to tell your husband to stop hurting you. The order can also tell your husband to leave the family home if you want him to.
Western Australia only
The police can make a temporary order to protect you in some cases. You can also apply for a court order to tell your husband to stop hurting you. Legal aid can help. Let’s work out what will be best for you.
Radha: How can we pay the rent if he leaves? I don’t want him to go, I just want him to listen to the police and understand they will arrest him if he does not stop.
Police officer: He can be ordered not to threaten you or hurt you, even if you live together.
Radha: What should I do?
Lakshmi: I think you should get an order that tells him to stop. You and the children have the right to be safe at home. The law says so.
Western Australia only
I think you should go to legal aid and get an order that tells him to stop. You and the children have the right to be safe at home. The law says so.
Last updated 28 September 2020