Advertisement

Australia opens first domestic violence shelter for men in Queensland

Australia has opened its first shelter for abused men in Queensland. — AFP pic
Australia has opened its first shelter for abused men in Queensland. — AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Australia has opened its first domestic violence shelter for men in Queensland.

Sheltered By Grace houses men in the state to escape violent and hurtful relationships and give them the support they need at a crucial time, Ladbible reported.

Besides food and utilities, the home has secure and furnished rooms, transportation to and from health appointments, and 24-hour on-site management.

There will also be weekly group discussions to help survivors open up about their experiences, as well as Bible study and church services.

Sheltered by Grace co-founder Jason Loake said emergency housing was desperately needed in Australia.

“It’s just a daft model to put them in housing by themselves and hopefully one carer may see them once a month.”

Loake hopes to get more funding to expand even further to offer a tapered approach to helping survivors.

“The model is to go from shared accommodation to single rooms, and then hopefully to their own unit to see how they’re coping with not only their mental health, their physical health, but everything else in the world.

“It’s a great insight to see how they’re looking after their room - or in this case it’s going to be their own little tiny home.

“If they can look after that, we know they’re well and truly ready to stand on their own two feet and hopefully never need our services, or services like ours, again.”

Statistics show that one in 16 Australian men suffers either physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner.

Related Articles Sydney posts record daily Covid-19 cases, police powers extended to enforce lockdown Australia’s Victoria eyes Covid-19 lockdown exit as cases fall Australian states squabble as NSW seeks vaccine priority amid Covid ‘emergency’