Victoria Police has today launched videos in multiple languages to encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to seek help if they are experiencing family violence.
The videos are available in English and 12 other languages: Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dari, Farsi, Greek, Italian, Punjabi, Macedonian, Turkish and Vietnamese.
These videos will soon also be available in an additional 13 languages: Hindi, Pashto, Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Serbian, Sinhalese, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Malay, Somali, Russian and Polish.
Assistant Commissioner of Family Violence Command Dean McWhirter acknowledged the currently challenging times for the community and highlighted the different ways victims could seek support.
"People may be particularly vulnerable during these times as the community stay at home to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but home might not always be the safest place to be," AC McWhirter said.
"We are releasing these videos to remind everyone in our community that Victoria Police continues to help people if they feel unsafe.
"If you or a member of your family does not feel safe, there are people you can talk to and support services available to help you.
"Everyone in our community should have information about the services available to them, especially in these particularly stressful times.
"Family violence is an underreported crime, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds may face additional barriers in reporting this crime to police.
"Language barriers can mean people may not have access to information or feel too intimidated to get the help they might need.
"These videos help raise awareness that family violence is a crime, help victims understand who they can speak to for support, and let victims know that they are not alone.
"If you are concerned that a family member or friend is experiencing family violence, take the time to check in on them in any way that is safe for you, and safe for them."
safe steps is available 24 hours a day to provide support over the phone or via email. They can also connect you with someone who speaks in your preferred language.
inTouch is also available to provide support services to women from multicultural backgrounds, including migrant and refugee women living in Victoria, who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
If you or someone you know is feeling unsafe, please call police. If you can't get to a phone, you can ask somebody to do it for you.
In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000). If English is not your first language, they will connect you to an interpreter.
The videos can be accessed from the Victoria Police YouTube page.
For more information about family violence in different languages, visit the Victoria Police website.
Victoria Police will act to protect anyone harmed by family violence.
