'More men's refuges not required'

Owen Glenn.

Tauranga's preventative family violence groups do not see a need for more men's refuges despite it being one of the recommendations from the most recent Glenn Inquiry for tackling family violence.

The new report from the inquiry - commissioned by entrepreneur Owen Glenn - based on interviewing 26 former family violence perpetrators has found that half of them had to cut back or stop using alcohol and other drugs before they could stop being violent.

The report also recommends "dedicated houses for men" who have been ordered out of their homes for a few days under police safety orders to calm down after a domestic violence incident that was not serious enough for an arrest.

However, Tauranga Living without Violence general manager Mary Beresford-Jones said there were already two shelters for men in Tauranga - the Tauranga Moana Night Shelter and Kidz Need Dadz - which offer temporary placements for men.

Tauranga Living Without Violence Collective is a counselling services agency which delivers programmes for men and women about living without violence. General manager Mary Beresford-Jones said they got hundreds of men every year through their service. Arrangements had been made by the organisation and Tauranga police for men to attend the shelters if they did not have anywhere else to go.

"We work closely through the two shelters and we do always encourage the men to stay out of the home until they have dealt with their violence and changed their behaviour."

Mrs Beresford-Jones said the majority of the men they dealt with did have somewhere to go but it was important for men not to go home after an act of domestic violence.

Tauranga Moana Night Shelter Trust spokesman Mike Mills said: "We anticipated that was a potential source of people coming forward although our primary focus of the shelter is guys who are sleeping rough."

The Glenn Inquiry
The people behind the Glenn Inquiry believe all New Zealanders want to play a part in ending child abuse and domestic violence. They also believe governments, state agencies, schools, NGOs and people on the frontline should not have to carry the burden alone or be forever left to pick up the pieces.