May 3, 2024
Over 55s boutique homes for sale, move-in ready from $660K 722-736 Barwon Heads Road, Armstrong Creek - Opposite the Warralily Shopping Centre. 12687011-ET18-24
Ukraine market to bring colour All roads lead to Geelong West this Mother’s Day for a community market held by the local Ukrainian community. The colourful community event will offer market browsers flowers, Ukrainian food, cakes and coffee, bric-a-brac, used fashion and Ukrainian crafts and clothing. It will be the third year the Ukrainian Women’s Association has held the market. The association has raised about $70,000 for humanitarian support of women and children in Ukraine. ■ For the full story, see page 3.
Ukrainian Women’s Association committee members are getting ready for their Mother’s Day market in Geelong West. (Ivan Kemp) 403851_05
Don’t ignore big red flags By Jena Carr
12687010-AP18-24
The community has gathered to honour and hear stories of women and children killed or harmed by family violence at a Geelong Candlelight Vigil Forum. An expert panel of specialist speakers highlighted how everyone can work together and support those impacted by violence in the workplace and community on Wednesday, May 1. Guest speaker and domestic violence survivor Simone O’Brien said she experienced domestic violence after ending a nine-month relationship one morning in 2012. “He was deleting contacts on my phone, it happened four to six times and I was blaming
my son for it, but I worked out that it was actually the perpetrator that was doing it,” she said. “The real reason I wanted to end the relationship was that he started sending me flowers to work, not just one, but every day, every couple of weeks; it just made me feel sick. “At that time, I was actually in a government job, so he couldn’t get into the building, but he knew he could send flowers in, so when he started doing that, that’s when I ended the relationship.” What started with emotional and psychological abuse, such as telling lies, stealing money and insults, led to Ms O’Brien losing her sense of smell and eyesight in her right eye. “In 10 minutes, my life has changed forever, as he beat me with a baseball bat 45 to 50 times
in the face, and I was within inches of my life. They weren’t expecting me to live,” she said. “I’ve had 52 operations with two more to go, but I’m a prisoner in my own body for the rest of my life with my children, and I left mentally affected. “The perpetrator told me he had never been married but after the hearing, which was two and a half years after the assault, his face went around Australia and two wives actually come forward.” Ms O’Brien said she wanted everyone to start talking about red flags and how to spot them for the benefit of future generations. “Little red flags turn into big red flags really quickly. In other words, don’t brush off any little red flags because it will become a big red
flag,” she said. “My message is that we need to report, report and report because I shouldn’t be here talking about this...and that it’s not embarrassing to speak up about domestic violence because you’re not alone. “Men need to start picking up men when they’re wrong and help young boys bring respect back into relationships, letting them know that women are not there just to be told what to do all the time.” Meli chief executive Grant Boyd said the forum came at a time when the community was grappling with recent tragic acts of violence against women. ■ Continued: Page 3.