When it comes to reducing the astronomical rate of domestic violence in Maitland, it’s going to take practical action for a real change to occur.
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The mayor of Maitland, Cr Peter Blackmore, has taken the lead on this as part of his White Ribbon Day pledge.
As mayor, he is often asked to provide character references for people when they face court.
But in order to show he is serious about stamping out domestic violence in this city, Cr Blackmore says he will refuse to give a reference to people who have been charged with a family violence offence.
That’s a valuable promise in a city that is consistently ranked among the 10 worst hot spots for domestic
violence in the state and where almost half of the region’s policing hours are taken up responding to reports of family violence.
The Mercury will publish similar White Ribbon pledges from Maitland’s sporting, art, music and community identities over the next two weeks, as part of an ongoing campaign to reduce the disgraceful prevalence of family violence in the Hunter.
Cr Blackmore’s pledge today is a strong start.
The symbolic gestures that many people make to show their opposition to family violence are important, whether it’s a group of men standing to make a public pledge against violence or simply wearing a white ribbon.
The problem is, a domestic violence offender could easily ignore these gestures.
It’s the practical actions that are likely to make a real difference.
Practical pledges like Cr Blackmore’s send a clear message to those among us who commit domestic violence that there are tangible consequences for their actions in the wider community.