Breaking Silence – Season-2

On average NZ police attend a family violence incident every five and a half minutes. Jude works at the Royal New Zealand Police college. The training program she implements is designed to encourage understanding and empathy for those who will work on the front line of family harm. As part of her training she shares her own very traumatic life story.

An estimated 15 percent of stalking cases worldwide result in homicide. Tina was stalked by her ex-husband for over 3 years.

Over half a million people are directly affected by family violence in New Zealand each year. For many violence is handed from generation to generation. Wiremu, with the love and support of his parents, has broken this cycle of abuse.

People who are part of the Rainbow community are more than twice as likely to experience partner violence than their straight counterparts.

On average, nine women are killed by their partner or ex-partner in New Zealand every year. 

Research shows that victims of childhood abuse are twice as likely to enter an abusive relationship as adults. For Lima, who once rejected her Samoan roots in an effort to move on from horrific abuse suffered as a child, her faith gave her the strength to forgive, and share her powerful story.

With many refuges being unable to accommodate animals, a surprising fifty three percent of abuse victims stay in violent relationships longer out of fear their animals will be harmed. Pets are a much loved part of the family but are all too often caught up in the cycle of violence.

Last year there were 53,000 women referred to refuges. For many there is no time to pack and they have just the clothes on their backs.