Support groups struggle with violence

Tauranga's Women Refuge manager Angela Warren-Clark. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Bound, gagged and thrown into the boot of a car. Kidnapped and threatened with death. Beaten within an inch of their lives.

These are just three examples of an escalation in P-fuelled domestic violence against woman in the Bay of Plenty region, and support agencies are alarmed.

The revelations come as new public service measures, aimed at revealing the scale and impact of family violence and the number of re-offenders, were announced.

Tauranga Women's Refuge manager Angela Warren-Clark welcomed the move and hoped the Government would pour more resources into tackling domestic violence. In the past six months, the refuge had dealt with cases of "some dark violence happening in our community", she said.

"There is a steady increase of women being abducted, tied up, put in the boot of cars, taken away to the bush or the beach, or their partners having utensils to bury them."

Mrs Warren-Clark said there was a high rate of women being subjected to extreme violence after a partner had used methamphetamine.

"The brutality is mind-numbing, there doesn't appear to be any empathy for these women. Children can be present, other people can be present - it doesn't matter."

The increase in violence had come at a time when the refuge was struggling, she said. The refuge used to be allocated clients at risk of death weekly, now they were receiving referrals daily.

"But I cannot pay my staff. We are allocated $185,000 a year from MSD. So far this year we have received 565 crisis calls, we are only paid for 320 a year."

Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief executive Helen Mason said there had been 123 presentations of methamphetamine use between July and December last year.

Tauranga Living Without Violence manager Mary Bedford-Jones said whenever P was involved in a case it always increased its risk and complexity. A third of the men who came into the service would have addiction or abuse issues and its men's programmes were full.

Where to get help:

If it is an emergency and you or someone you know is at risk, call 111.
• Women's Refuge: 0800 733 843
• Victim Support: 0800 842 846
• Lifeline: (09) 522 2999
• Family Violence Info Line: 0800 456 450