Mother's bid to tackle abuse

Lesley Elliott says she could have helped her daughter if she'd known the signs of abuse. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The mother of Sophie Elliott, stabbed to death by former lover Clayton Weatherston, has set up a charity that aims to prevent young women being abused.

Lesley Elliott yesterday announced the Sophie Elliott Foundation - aimed at educating high school girls so they do not suffer the same fate.

In 2008, 22-year-old Sophie was stabbed to death by Weatherston, 11 years her senior, at her mother's house. Sophie had recently ended their turbulent relationship which began after they met at the University of Otago.

Mrs Elliott said she wanted to tell Sophie's story to help other women in similar situations.

"She was in a relationship that was very typical of abuse of women where she couldn't seem to get out of it. It was always 'give me another chance', which seems to be very common from what I understand."

The Sophie Elliott foundation aims to educate young women at high school about relationship violence and its tell-tale signs.

During the police investigation into her daughter's murder, Mrs Elliott said she searched "abusive relationship" on the internet and found that about 90 per cent of the signs of abuse were present in Sophie's relationship with Weatherston.

"I cried for about an hour thinking I could have saved us all this bother and heartache if we'd only known beforehand.

"Sophie was an intelligent woman and had I been able to point that out to her, she would have taken it on board."

Kristin Dunne-Powell, who was involved in the high-profile Tony Veitch domestic abuse case, is also involved in the organisation.

She said she got involved in the foundation after a phone call with Mrs Elliott.

"We started talking and realised there were similarities between our cases ... There was a big gap in prevention of abuse and we realised we could do something to help."

High school students also had the opportunity to attend the conference.

Grace Bell, 18, from Westlake Girls High School, said it was good that the foundation aimed to prevent abuse before it happened, rather than being an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

"I'm sure every high school student knows one or two friends [who are domestically abused], maybe not as extravagantly as what Lesley said, but maybe verbal abuse."

The donations from the charity will go towards a domestic abuse education programme at high schools, which Ms Elliott hopes will become part of the curriculum.

The foundation was launched at Auckland University of Technology.

Weatherston, 34, is serving at least 18 years for killing Sophie Elliott by stabbing and cutting her 216 times in her Dunedin home. His claim that he was provoked was rejected by a High Court jury.

He has appealed against the murder conviction and the appeal is due to be heard in April next year.