A charitable Foundation to honour the memory of murdered University of Otago student Sophie Elliot was launched last week at the Auckland University of Technology campus.
Lesley Elliot, Sophie’s mother, was the driving force behind the creation of the foundation, and is one of its five trustees. Since Sophie’s death Lesley has worked to ensure that the issue of domestic violence in New Zealand gains greater prominence.
The Foundation aims to educate young women to help prevent violence and abuse in relationships. Current statistics show that on average 14 women are murdered by their partner or ex-partner each year in New Zealand, and the Foundation is designed to raise awareness about the existence of domestic abuse and what can be done to support women who find themselves in abusive relationships.
Foundation chairman Neville Caird said in a media release “If we don’t teach our young people to recognise the warning signs and risk factors we put them at great risk of harm. What happened to Sophie Elliot could have happened to anyone.”
Kirsten Dunne-Powell, the former partner of disgraced TV3 presenter Tony Veitch, is also a trustee of the Foundation. Dunne-Powell and Lesley Elliot recognised a gap in the resources available to educate young women about domestic violence, which led to their working together to create the Sophie Elliot Foundation.
Sophie Elliot Foundation Launched
