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An An Xue fled to the safety of the Shakti Asian Women's Centre last year to seek refuge from her abusive, firearm-owning husband, it emerged yesterday.
Police referred An An, also known as Annie, to Shakti Asian Women's Centre in September last year. She and her daughter Qian Xue spent a month at the refuge, having fled there after being threatened by Nai Yin Xue.
Annie told refuge staff her husband regularly kept weapons at home, including a gun.
Deeply concerned for her safety, Annie had intended to go back to China and see her parents, Shakti national co-ordinator Shila Nair said.
"During her time at refuge Mrs Xue was given assistance to obtain protection and parenting orders," Ms Nair said.
"However, she left before the orders were finalised and did not provide a forwarding address.
"They [refuge workers] did not hear from her again after she left. The refuge is cooperating with police working on Mrs Xue's disappearance, and is also working with the local Chinese community."
Revelations of the history of abuse in An An Liu's household should be the catalyst for action to reduce domestic violence, National list MP Pansy Wong says.
"This is not my first tragic case involving domestic violence, and it hits pretty hard," said Mrs Wong - who has been in contact with An An's family since her disappearance.
"It is history we are making, and it is not a good feeling. It is time we looked at putting solutions in place. I want to see a campaign to enable victims to speak up before it's too late. We have to stop these kinds of tragedies happening. It's one too many."
An An Liu's family had been "appalled" by yesterday's developments, Mrs Wong said. An An's mother, Liu Xiao Ping, was in the process of arranging travel documents so she could come to New Zealand, and Mrs Wong expected to meet her at Auckland Airport early next week.
"The family are very upset, they are looking for answers," Mrs Wong said.
"I certainly want to make sure there is a voice at this end, so she's not totally landing in a place with all strangers.
"I am extremely appreciative of agencies and ministers I have talked to in New Zealand and also agencies in Australia.
"Nobody is standing in the way, everybody is doing their best to facilitate grandmother reuniting with granddaughter as fast as possible."
Mrs Liu made her travel arrangements before the discovery of a body outside An An's Auckland home.
The plan had been for her granddaughter, Qian Xue - currently in fostercare in Melbourne after being abandoned in the Victorian capital by her father - to travel to New Zealand to join Ms Liu, and that was still likely to be the sequence of events, Mrs Wong said.
"I think the best place for her is to be with her extended family.
"The comforting thought is that I established the grandparents had a close bond with Qian Xue - she apparently spent some time every year with her grandparents - so that's really good news."
