Film-inspired plea to victims

An iconic scene from popular Christmas film Love Actually has been re-enacted by New Zealand police to encourage victims of domestic violence to get help.

The just-released video shows a female police officer knocking on the door of a young woman.

The officer puts a brown box near the door and the woman opens it to find the officer holding up large white signs while Silent Night plays in the background.

As in Christmas flick Love Actually, the signs read out what the officer wants to say instead of her speaking.

‘‘We know that the Christmas and summer period can be a stressful time for families and wha¯ nau,’’ the card reads.

‘‘People are drinking more and money can be tight . . . family harm is a reality for thousands of families in NZ.’’

The cards continue to read that police attend a family harm incident every four minutes in this country.

New Zealand has the worst rates of domestic abuse in the developed world, claiming 28 lives a year.

‘‘Exposure to family violence poses significant threats to a child’s development,’’ another card reads. ‘‘If you or a family member is in danger or at risk, call police on 111.

‘‘Support is available, it is OK to ask for help.’’

The officer then reveals a card that reads, ‘‘We are here to help you’’, before stepping back as a number of representatives from different organisations walk into the frame.

These include Victim Support, Waitemata¯ District Health Board, Ghandi Nivas and domestic abuse charity group Shine.

The officer appears alone again, holding a final card that reads, ‘‘Break the silence against family violence’’, before walking away. In 2018, police investigated 133,022 family harm incidents, data shows.

In May 2018, police introduced a multi-agency approach to try to reduce these incidents.

In its post about the video, NZ Police said it knows this time of year can be stressful for many families.

‘‘If you or someone you know is experiencing fear or violence in their home please seek help as soon as possible.

‘‘We work alongside some amazing agencies who are available to offer help and support to those experiencing violence in the home.’’