Attitudes in Pacific still need to change on domestic violence
An increase in police complaints about domestic violence in the Pacific is being seen as a sign a Pacific-wide campaign against violence is working.
Transcript
An increase in police complaints about domestic violence in the Pacific is being seen as a sign a Pacific-wide campaign against violence is working.
But those involved in the UN's campaign against gender-based violence say attitudes still need to change from people in power.
Alex Perrottet reports.
Lina Chang, who runs the Samoa Victims Support Group, cares for about 70 children who are the victims of violence. She urges family members to report violence, to avoid cases like Fatima Tupa'i, who was brutally murdered by her husband in October, while she slept holding her young children. Despite dealing with these cases, Ms Chang says increased police complaints shows women feel more confident, and the village representatives who work with her are doing their jobs.
LINA CHANG: That's the idea, to keep reporting, but inside the village itself it's making an impact that people will know that there is a village rep, and someone they can go and talk to, someone like that.
Lina Chang says taxi drivers are promoting a helpline by putting stickers on their vehicles. She says they're often the first people to respond to incidents. One taxi operator, Tauiliili Pasitale Afamasaga, says young men accessing violent and pornographic material on mobile phones is an issue.
TAUILIILI PASITALE AFAMASAGA: The mobile phone is a very good technology but they use it unwisely. We need more education about these things. It's really really changed the image of the young generations now, to those bad bad terrible things, pornographic movies and those things.
There are so many causes, but one thing all advocates agree on is that attitudes need to change. On White Ribbon Day last month, a victim and survivor of domestic violence, Sina Retzlaff, said a senior police inspector told women to think carefully before reporting violence because it's a waste of paperwork if they later retract the complaint. The police commissioner, Egon Keil, says that goes against everything the police are trying to do.
EGON KEIL: Totally goes against the grain of this organisation and what I'm trying to instil in this organisation. It's a backward way of thinking and I tell you that kind of behaviour, that kind of thinking is not tolerated here in this organisation and shouldn't be tolerated anywhere. So I take this very very seriously and as a matter of fact that officer is under investigation right now.
Egon Keil says the problem is a global one and those in positions of power need to face up to the issue. Taliaoa Filipo Tipoai is the Chairman of the Samoa Victims Support Group in Auckland, and has been running his own sessions for men in New Zealand for 35 years. He says too often men blame their partner or their culture for their anger issues but they need to realise they always have a choice.
TALIAOA FILIPO TIPOAI: Violence is nobody's culture, it's a matter of choice. Men need to do deal with their own problems. A lot of men say you know it's my wife... you know I always say to the men it's got nothing to do with that, everything, as far as the issue is concerned, it comes down to your choice.
Lina Chang says 200 men have recently graduated from anger management courses in Samoa, but next year they will look to expand the programmes to include forums for men who can voluntarily come and talk about their issues.
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