This Tuesday, Mid-Western Region residents will be asked to wear a white ribbon to show their support for White Ribbon Day, a national campaign to stop violence against women.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mudgee Police, local business owners, and Mayor Des Kennedy be among those wearing white ribbons tomorrow.
Although crime rates in most categories in the Mid-Western Region are low in comparison to other areas of the state, domestic assault is one area where the local incidence exceeds the state’s rate.
According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), 107 domestic assaults were reported in the Mid-Western Region in the year ending in June 2014. This was less than the 127 domestic assaults reported the previous year.
But with a rate equivalent to 455 domestic assaults per 100,000 people over two years, the Mid-Western Region’s rate of domestic assault is still above the NSW rate of 397 per 100,000 people.
Due to many factors, victims of domestic assault are often reluctant to come forward and offences may go unreported, so the actual rate is likely to be higher.
Regular readers of the court reports in this newspaper will be aware of the regularity with which domestic assault offences are dealt with in the local courts, and the trauma caused to victims.
This Tuesday, show you are willing to make a stand against violence against women. Visit the stand at the Mudgee Town Centre (outside Coles), find out more, buy a ribbon, and stand up against violence, not only on this day, but every day of the year.
