Police Families Support White Ribbon 2022 – Trigger Warning

A Canterbury detective and her father, along with another brave police officer, share a personal story of domestic violence to highlight the importance of White Ribbon Day.

Detective Jamie-Lee Bergman’s parents separated when she was seven years old. Her father was very angry. He was holding on to the glass and could have pulled the trigger with his bare hands to the point of crushing it and slamming it to the floor.

She experienced emotional distress from his outbursts of anger and emotionally abusive behavior, and recalled that when she was young, her father would pack up and walk out the door, rarely seeing him afterward.

Jaimie-Leigh was sent to the Cholmondeley Respite Care Home for Children in Christchurch when her parents separated. At the time, she didn’t know that her father had historically been sexually abused at an all-boys boarding school when she was little.

Jaimie-Leigh says it took years to heal the scars from his childhood experiences.

“I had to rewire my brain from the automated flight/fight response. But overcoming that trauma and being on the other side, the lessons I learned made me who I am today I have no intention of changing anything.

“I’m so proud of my father for having the courage to do the same because it’s not easy. I hope this inspires many others to do the same. The rewards are phenomenal.” is.”

Learn more about stories here. https://www.police.govt.nz/news/ten-one-magazine/police-victims-shine-li…

Floyd Ormsby’s childhood was anything but easy. He was the youngest of four children and his mother died when he was three years old. He was moved from house to house and subjected to physical and emotional abuse. He ended up in a boarding school for sexually abused boys. A few years into adulthood, he cleared the wounds of his family.

But Floyd, now 63, turned his life around to become a respectful husband in his third marriage and a role model for young men and women.

“Being a victim doesn’t mean you have to be a perpetrator. There’s a lot more help today than there was 50 years ago. Ask for help and get it early,” says Floyd.

Police officer “Charlotte” (not her real name) bravely wanted to share her story and identify herself publicly, but for legal reasons she can’t. The first punch shattered my forearm, then more punches followed, I covered my head as best I could, then his hand was wrapped around my neck and I was struggling to breathe. rice field.”

You can read the story of “Charlotte” here. https://tenone.police.govt.nz/news/police-victims-shine-light-violence#c…

White Ribbon Ambassador and Police Commissioner Andrew Koster applauds the two officers and Floyd for sharing their stories.

“Police officers are not immune to this kind of experience. We are part of a wider community and unfortunately it means that some of our people become victims of violence. ‘ said Commissioner Coster.

“But hopefully sharing their experiences will make it easier for victims of similar violence to come forward and seek help.

“Domestic violence is one of the biggest problems in our country. We are responsible for implementation, which demonstrates our intention to eliminate this problem in Aotearoa, New Zealand,” he said.

With its 2022 campaign, White Ribbon flips the “boys will be boys” script and aims to highlight all the great qualities that boys and men can exhibit when taught.

This year, we encourage fathers, guardians, and mentors to talk to their children about core issues such as respectful relationships, consent, and healthy masculinity.

We can all help reduce domestic violence in our communities by teaching boys to be caring, supportive, ethical, respectful, friendly, generous, and great people. can reduce the amount of

If you suspect someone close to you is a victim of domestic violence, or if you feel something is wrong, it’s okay to deal with it. can save lives. Call 111 or visit www.police.govt.nz/family-violence-help

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Published by Police Media Center