The Front Page podcast: The fight to help 1 million NZers escape violence

Julie Chapman is launching Pet Refuge, a shelter that will house animals while victims of domestic violence leave abusers and find safe homes. Photo / Michael Craig

Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the movement to tackle our entrenched domestic violence problem. Hosted by Frances Cook.

Audio from this video podcast is available on podcast apps, one week after its release on Herald Premium. You can subscribe to this podcast on all the main apps, including Apple podcasts here, iHeartRadio here, Spotify here, and Google podcasts here.

Every year one million New Zealanders are affected by family or sexual violence.

It's a shocking number, and one that both the Government and private groups seem determined to bring down.

The Government has just pledged to spend $320 million on initiatives aimed at preventing family and sexual violence, and breaking the cycle of violence.

The pre-Budget announcement is, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern the largest ever Government spend on family and sexual violence and support services.

Meanwhile, new research from Women's Refuge reveals a huge number of women delay leaving abusive relationships because they fear what will happen to their pets.

The first Pet Refuge is now being set up, removing one of the barriers to people escaping domestic violence.

But are these moves enough when the problem is so entrenched in New Zealand?

For the latest Front Page podcast I talked to Herald political journalist Jason Walls, and senior crime reporter Anna Leask.

For the interview, watch the video.

If you want to donate to the Pet Refuge, click here.

If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on

Facebook here

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Instagram here

and

Twitter here

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