When Anne met her partner, she was elated. He was articulate, educated, well-mannered and well-spoken. Everyone that met him thought he was wonderful and that he and Anne were perfect for each other. She had finally found the man she wanted to settle down with. They bought a house and started a family.
Six months into the marriage and things began to change, he become violent if his dinner wasn’t on the table the moment he walked in the door. He would call Anne every hour whilst he was at work and if she didn’t answer his call on the first ring he would come home in a rage and beat her until she promised she would never again miss his call. He would call her names all day and night, wake her up so that she would make him a drink if he woke in the middle of the night and demand intimacy even after Anne had just been beaten. Anne felt so worthless and felt that she wouldn’t be believed as he was an up standing community member and everyone only saw the lovely side of him.
One night, after a violent attack Anne mustered enough courage to call the police. She knew that one day he would go too far and she would be dead. He had gone out to the shed and had begun drinking, so she got the phone and called police. Her partner was removed from the house with a family violence safety notice, and an Intervention Order was granted, for Anne and her child’s safety. Not having family support, it was a very difficult and lonely road for Anne. The police who attended referred Anne to Emma House.
Anne said “Emma House did so much for me. They supported me through my darkest times, provided me with the tools to move on and have happy healthy relationships, and provided my children with the support they needed. They reinforced the strength in me. They encouraged me to stay strong. They covered all grounds with safety planning – things I hadn’t thought about and could never have afforded to pay for. Just that feeling of security.”
Anne also hopes that sharing her story will assist in breaking down the stereotypes around family violence. “My partner was a person you would least expect to be an abuser. I never thought anything like this would happen to me.”
