A dying wish for justice

Olivia was once strangled until she passed out. She spent the next 14 years as a virtual ghost, hiding from an abuser the Family Court considered no threat. By Michelle Duff.

she has left advocating for changes to the Family Court.

During the days spent with her, which were to be her last, Olivia’s condition deteriorated. At times during conversations, she put her head down to sleep. Her family were concerned about her being part of this story, worrying that her former partner would try to contact her on her deathbed to gloat.

But her sister said they supported Olivia’s dying wish. ‘‘Every time she reads that another woman has died, or had a protection order and it’s been overturned, she feels bad because she feels like she could have done something.’’

Olivia says the system currently enables women to be revictimised by their ex-partners, through continuing psychological and financial abuse.

‘‘As soon as [the court] see a woman who is functioning and has a job, it’s like; ‘Really? Are you really a victim? Could you not have tried harder to get out?’ I felt horribly judged, I didn’t feel listened to, and the process made me feel isolated and trapped.’’

She has met with Justice Minister Andrew Little and Ministry of Justice officials, pushing for a formal review – which Little has now announced.

‘‘As soon as I found out about the cancer, I decided I wanted to do this. I mean what’s he going to do, kill me?

‘‘It is so important that other women don’t go through this. New Zealand is never going to be free of domestic violence unless we wise up and sort the system out.’’

Olivia did not live to see this story published.

OStuff, lifelong order. ‘‘I only agreed originally to finalise the financial dealings between us even though the protection order was baseless.’’ He says he later decided to apply to overturn the order as he believed it could be seen to reflect on his character and prevent him from travelling and owning property.

He said Olivia had used vexatious litigation against him during the property case and buried him in paperwork. ‘‘Of course this type of thing is par for the course when money is involved but at the time was extremely upsetting for me.’’ He said the proceedings were stressful.

Wabusers whose threat to harm can be quite subtle.

‘‘Some decision makers do carry an implicit stereotype as to what a domestic violence victim looks like, and if you don’t fit that the judge will have real difficulty understanding the challenges and risks that you face.’’

J