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Sophie Elliott Foundation launches today

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Wed, 06 Oct 2010 5:06a.m.

Sophie Elliott (file)

Sophie Elliott (file)

The Sophie Elliott Foundation for Young Women will launch in Auckland this morning.

Named after the young Dunedin woman stabbed to death by ex-boyfriend Clayton Weatherston in 2008, the foundation is aimed to educate high school girls about abusive relationships.

“We want to be the fence at the top of the cliff, rather than the ambulance at the bottom,” Sophie’s mother Lesley Elliott told the Otago Daily Times.

Mrs Elliott will be joined as a trustee by three Dunedin-based people and Kristin Dunne-Powell.

Ms Dunne-Powell is the former partner of television presenter Tony Veitch, who pleaded guilty to injuring her with reckless disregard for her safety.

The foundation will be launched at 11.30am today at AUT University in Auckland.

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Comments

15 Oct 2010 06:58p.m.

Annette Ashley wrote:

Younger people in particular are not adequately equiped to manage abusive relationships and any uneven power ratio's. Teaching and empowering people to identify what is not OK in any relationship and how to leave it is so incredibly important. My own story of 20 years of married hell and the impact on my children which resulted in incredible loss and heartache is a sad message to all.

In view of the horrific circumstances that occurred to dear Sophie, the Sophie Elliot Foundation and its purpose is an incredibly positive way to honour Sophie's memory. I fully support the goals to educate and empower others particulary through schools in order to reduce destructive relationships. My heartfelt messages of support to her family in turning such tragedy towards something so incredibly positive.