Escape Bags offer essential products and comforts for people fleeing family violence.
Foye Legal has become a partner stockist of Escape Bags, a service started by Australian charity Escabags that provides free bags filled with necessities that a victim of domestic or family abuse and their children may need when initially escaping an abusive or dangerous situation.
For many victims of violence, the nature of intimidation and fear makes it extremely difficult for them to escape without alerting the perpetrator. Many who manage to flee don’t have time to pack their bags, let alone grab essential items they and their children might need.
The Escape bags are tote bags made by volunteers and filled at Escabags’ warehouse. The bags contain high-quality products that support people to feel comforted and worthy in a crisis. The bags are not gender-specific and, by providing two variations, ‘Parent and Child’ and ‘Single Adult’, cater for all victims of abuse.
Foye Legal CEO and Chief Lawyer Diana Foye said the firm jumped at the chance to provide additional practical support for victims of violence and abuse.
“When we hear about people in these horrific, violent, and abusive situations, we often ask ‘why don’t they just leave’?” Ms Foye said. “The sad truth is, they simply can’t.
“The perpetrator has created a climate of control and fear, where they’re tracking every move the victim makes. In many cases, there’s also psychological abuse and manipulation where the victim is either too terrified to speak out or are made to think they’re part of the problem.
“The manipulation and threats, let alone the actual acts of violence, make it incredibly hard for victims to prepare to get away. A service like Escape Bags, where a victim can access personal items as simple as a toothbrush or a public transport card, could be the difference in enabling a person to flee.”
Foye Legal provides legal protection and support for victims of family violence and has been a strong advocate for the introduction of coercive control laws that would make controlling behaviour a crime. Controlling behaviour is regularly found to be a precursor to physical violence.
The bags can be obtained by visiting Foye Legal offices in Market St, Wollongong.