When Nicole Yade walked into Ashfield Police Station clutching her five-month-old baby to report nearly a decade of domestic violence, she was faced with a stark waiting room and a sterile environment.
Twenty years later, on Wednesday, she returned to open The Cottage, a specialist domestic violence support centre located in a heritage building that previously served as the inner-west station, alongside Burwood Police Area Commander Christine McDonald.
The Cottage, run by the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre (where Yade is chief executive), features plush furnishings, children’s toys and emergency supplies. There, victim survivors of domestic violence can speak to frontline staff, be referred on to specialist services, and have their electronics checked for spyware and cars swept for tracking devices.
Yade said she had an “incredible” officer who supported her during her case, but after a two-decade career working with trauma survivors she knew how important it was to offer wrap-around support in an environment conducive to disclosure.
“Having that kind of trauma-informed, warm, inviting, calm environment will help people feel supported and help them get to the heart of what’s going on [and] get the support they need,” she said.
Yade said that those escaping family and domestic violence attempt to leave on average seven times before leaving for good, often because of a lack of support, resources, housing or fear of escalating violence. She hopes The Cottage will help to reduce that number.
“Isolation is a tactic used by perpetrators of domestic violence, so anything that we can do to help people feel less alone is really important,” she said. “Anything we can do to decrease the amount of time someone leaves, the safer that family will be.
“Everything good starts with believing survivors in this space.”
A domestic violence liaison officer is also based in the cottage for victim-survivors who choose to report to police. Evidence, such as spyware found on devices, can be collected directly on-site to pursue coercive control charges.
“Depending on what the person prefers, we’ll bring officers into that space, taking a police statement on a lounge, having a cup of tea in an environment that’s a lot more conducive to support,” McDonald said.
Burwood is the fifth-most diverse community in Australia, and McDonald hopes The Cottage will help people who are intimidated by police, or who have had negative experiences with authorities in their home countries, feel safe coming forward.
“My concern is that domestic and family violence is underreported … It’s an epidemic,” she said.
Police have responded to more than 130,000 incidents this year involving a victim protected by an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order, averaging a job every three minutes. More than 60 per cent of police time is spent on domestic and family violence incidents.
NSW Police also faces a severe staffing shortage, with more than 2000 officer vacancies. Across the 20,000-strong force, female representation has remained stagnant at under 37 per cent for five years, the latest annual report reveals.
McDonald hopes The Cottage will ensure survivors receive the right services and support, while building trust so that they can engage with police if and when they feel ready.
“It takes a village to protect a village, and this approach is about getting police, government agencies and the community all coming together,” she said. “We have to have a whole-of-society approach to it.
“If you save even one life from a domestic violence homicide … I think that’s worth it.”
The Cottage, funded by existing resources from the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre and the police area command, is open on Wednesdays at Ashfield Police Station.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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