Providing a place of refuge

A FORMER Victoria Police officer has created a safe haven for women and children.

Former leading senior constable Christine Smith grappled with feelings of guilt after 15 years in the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences unit, but said she could finally let go after starting her own organisation.

“I knew I couldn’t walk away… I had seen too much,” she said.

“Domestic and family violence didn’t just shape the lives of people I served – it changed my life, too.

“I had carried the guilt of not always being able to offer safe, immediate solutions, especially for women and people with disabilities in crisis.”

She said Destination Accessible was born about four years ago out of the desire to help change the story for people experiencing violence in the Barwon region.

Working in collaboration with leading organisations including Safe Steps, The Orange Door, Meli and The Sexual Assault Family Violence Centre, Ms Smith and her team aim to provide a place of refuge for victim survivors.

“I remember one time looking after a six- or seven-year-old boy, whose mum had just been murdered by his dad. He sat with us in the office for hours and hours,” she said.

“We tried our best but the resources just weren’t available back then. Had they been, his mum might have still been alive today.

“The guilt I carried from not being able to truly help as a police officer is now being repaid through Destination Accessible.”

The Geelong and Bellarine-based organisation provides services including crisis accommodation and support for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, as well as providing services to NDIS participants, which Ms Smith said were far too often the same clientele.

“I left the police force and created a business focused on what was missing: safe, accessible housing and tailored support for people with disabilities escaping violence in the Barwon region.

“We’ve built a service that responds quickly, with compassion, and – most importantly – with options that are actually safe and suitable.”

Ms Smith said the “devastating reality” was that there were not enough safe housing options available for people in crisis.

“In our region, we saw people, many with disabilities, trapped in cycles of abuse because the system didn’t have the capacity to support them properly.

“That powerlessness stayed with me.”

Family Violence Prevention Month takes place across May, and Ms Smith said now was “the time to listen, learn and act”.

“Today, we’re changing lives by giving people back their freedom, dignity, and security.

“It’s not just awareness; it’s action. And in the Barwon region, we’re proving that change is not only possible – it’s happening.”

For more information on Destination Accessible, head to destinationaccessible.com.au