It is OK to leave

The message however is clear – if you are feeling unsafe or being exposed to any form of family violence it is ok to leave. Victims are able to remove themselves from the home and take their children. In the alternative, the police can be called – if it is an emergency 111 can be called followed by 55 ( where police then understand silence to mean an alert). Attached is a recent Stuff article that speaks of the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence – the Minister is clear – if you are unsafe you can leave your bubble. The attached article has some frightening statistics about the increase in Family Violence during the last lockdown.

It is vital that people know during this time that the police can still be called if the matter is urgent and you can also contact a lawyer to action a Protection Order. At level 4 all services that deal with Family Violence are deemed essential workers – so many agencies are still here to help.

Urgent protection orders can be applied for and if you have any queries or would like advice around this issue the Relationships team at Cavell Leitch is here to help. We are all working remotely and are available to prepare applications on an urgent basis, keeping our clients safe from any ongoing harm.

You can contact our Relationships Team or family law expert Amanda Fitzgibbon if you need any legal advice and below we have listed some other helpful contact numbers

Where to get help:

• Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843 (females only)
• Shine Free call 0508 744 633 24/7 (for men and women)
• 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
• Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
• What’s Up 0800 942 8787 (for 5 to 18-year-olds). Phone counselling available Monday-Friday, noon-11pm and weekends, 3pm-11pm. Online chat is available 3pm-10pm daily.
• Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz, or find online chat and other support options here.
• Lifeline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 354
• Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757
• Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116
• Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free.
• Rape Crisis - 0800 88 33 00 (24hr service), click link for information on local helplines
• Victim Support - 0800 842 846 (24hr service)
• Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust - (Males only), Helplines across NZ, click to find out more
• If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.