• Full Story

Animal abuse linked to domestic violence

Email
Print

Animal abuse linked to domestic violence

3News NZ

Women's Refuge is glad the issue has been highlighted

Women's Refuge is glad the issue has been highlighted

A groundbreaking study has shed new light on why many women suffering domestic violence are scared to leave their partners.

The research shows one in three women delay leaving violent relationships because they're scared their animals will be killed or tortured.

Half witnessed animal cruelty, and children are often exposed to the acts.

Women's Refuge CEO Heather Henare, is glad the issue has been highlighted.

"I hope that it does shock people," she says.

"I hope that it does make people more aware of why women delay leaving abusive relationships and reinforces the concern that we have over the power and control that men assert in order to keep women in violent relationships."

The study also suggests a funding programme should be developed to support animals in temporary accommodation and vet expenses.

The study interviewed 203 women from 21 women's refuges, and is thought to be the first study linking animal abuse and domestic violence in New Zealand.

A 70-year-old women spoke of how her husband chopped her budgie's head off, telling her, "This is what I can do to you."

And a 20-year-old said her partner abused their cat, essentially saying, "This is what I will do to you if you don't toe the line."

3 News / RadioLIVE

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

9/05/2012 12:01:15 p.m.

Easy Goin' wrote:

How weird - I thought it was both ways around from the way 'animal lovers' threaten and wish terrible cruel deaths and tortures on media blogs like these when covering animal cruelty cases. I've read wishes and threats of being caged in with hungry packs of dogs, bashed and raped in prison, slow hangings ... I think you can find any study to push an agenda like Smoking is not dangerous, CO2 is not related to Climate Change, Fish don't feel pain, Vegetarians are the cause of World Hunger. The list goes on and on

28/03/2012 10:42:11 a.m.

jan wrote:

different jan here. Dont agree at all. SPCA have there own agenda and by linking themselves to womens refuge they are both trying to get more sympathy and money. I tried to save my animals from abuse from my abuser and his family yet the SPCA took them away at the request of the abuser to punish me, and the SPCA and wouldn't give them back, believing him. I couldn't prove his threats to me or the animals. So these males don't need to actually do any abuse to the animals to pychologically torture you. Knowing how much I loved those animals he was stoked, I was told by others. But of course its to late. B*stards like him perpatrate the myth of animal and human abuse. Not all human abusers hurt animals. The stats are make to look like all animal abusers hurt humans. Not true. One day I hope to tell what he did to

28/03/2012 9:46:27 a.m.

jan wrote:

This does not surprise me at all, isn't animal cruelty linked to child abuse too.

28/03/2012 9:26:44 a.m.

Ricardo wrote:

No brainer this one. Any fool knows that those who abuse animals go on to abusing people. Duh!