Alcohol Healthwatch boss allegedly tells conference he’s ‘like a battered wife with Stockholm Syndrome’

The director of an organisation dedicated to reducing alcohol-related harm has been accused of telling hundreds of attendees at a liquor licensing inspectors’ conference last week he was back speaking at the event “like a battered wife with Stockholm Syndrome”.

One attendee told the Herald they were “horrified” by the comment, and concerned to hear a person of his position nonchalantly making such comments.

“To have the director of [Alcohol] Healthwatch making jest of the harm caused by domestic violence, which can involve alcohol, is just simply disappointing,” the attendee said.

The speaker, Andrew Galloway, who is executive director of Alcohol Healthwatch, said he did not recall the comment and apologised unreservedly if anything he said caused offence.

“I certainly did not intend to offend anyone.”

The NZ Institute of Liquor Licensing (NZILLI) ran the professional development event in Auckland.

Its president Sian Swinney told the Herald Galloway’s comments were not sentiments the organisation “supports or condones”.

According to the Alcohol Healthwatch website, its role is to provide information for alcohol policy and planning.

“Our priority is to mobilise communities to take action on a range of alcohol-related harms,” it said.

“Increasing evidence shows that violence is the major alcohol-related harm experienced by women and children as a consequence of the drinking of others, overwhelmingly men.”

Swinney said their role as inspectors - alongside Police and Health NZ as partner agencies - is to ensure harm caused by excessive or inappropriate alcohol consumption is minimised.

“A large amount of family harm in our communities [is] as a result of excessive or inappropriate alcohol consumption.”

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Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.