Kempsey has a domestic violence and assault rate 40 percent higher than the NSW average according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Reporting (BOCSAR).

In NSW in the 12 months to September 2013, 27 of the 35 female homicide victims in NSW were murdered in a domestic violence situation.

KFSS have been running successful behavioural and education programs for domestic violence offenders and they are one of only six organisations in the state that are fully accredited to do so under recently introduced NSW government standards.

Men’s support worker Heath Addison said that the funding under which the programs had been operating has now run out.

“Basically we have pretty much been operating with zero funding since November last year,” Mr Addison said.

“I have had about one referral per day since I got back to work last week. Part of the problem is that other social services don’t realise that funding has ceased and continue to send people to us that we are not funded to help at present.”

As an organisation we went to a lot of trouble and expense to get accredited to the best practice standard to deliver men’s behavioural change programs and now it looks like we may not be able to continue.

“Most people don’t realise but the leading cause of preventable health issues for women between the ages of 18 and 45 is domestic violence related issues, it is greater than cigarettes and alcohol.”

KFSS Manager Diane Garfield said that the domestic violence problem is one that is still difficult for society to deal with.

“Even the words domestic violence implies it is somehow a lesser offence than other types of assault,” Mrs Garfield said.

“I think the perception is a lot of the time that the woman could have avoided it if she had just done as she was told or not upset her partner and that it is somehow her fault.

“The programs we run here for offenders are for those men who have taken responsibility and to admit to their problem and try and do something about it.

“There are a lot of support services that rightly focus on the safety of the victims and the children in a relationship but none that try to deal with the perpetrator of the violence.

“If there is one thing we have learned is that jail does not reduce the risk of further violence.

“We could have a program up and running next week that would be able to engage with 100 plus families including more than 300 children for a cost of about $140 000.

“When you consider that it is estimated that the total cost to the NSW economy of domestic violence including police, court and jail resources, lost wages health and hospital costs is more than $4.5 billion dollars I think it is a pretty good investment.”