For Hayley Wormleaton, it was a night that began routinely but ended in terror, trauma, and loss.
In September 2015, Hayley, who was 19 at the time, was sitting in her bedroom at home in Lalor Park, western Sydney, when her uncle got home.
He wasn’t being himself, was he?
Hayley remarked, “I heard my nan cry out to me.
I immediately left my bedroom and saw my uncle with a knife seated on the couch close to my grandmother.
To get assistance, Hayley hurried over to her neighbor’s home.
Her grandmother too made an attempt to flee, but she was assassinated before reaching the lawn of the neighbours.
In an effort to get back to the house where she knew her cousins, who were still there with her uncle, Hayley called the police.
Hayley remarked, “My neighbour wouldn’t let me go back out the front door.”
One of her cousins was able to escape and find refuge next door.
When the police arrived, Hayley walked outside and discovered her cousin, a young girl of seven, dead on the lawn. Her uncle had killed him as well.
The 35-year-old uncle of Hayley was found guilty on two counts of murder and given a maximum 40-year prison term.
Hayley claimed that as a child, she was often exposed to domestic abuse and came to accept it as the usual.
It was common for Hayley to wake up in the middle of the night to the sounds of doors being kicked in, objects being shattered, and yelling and screaming. She would then get up and go to school the next day.
“Whatever happens at home stays at home,” was a statement that belonged to my grandmother.
Hayley stated that she was now acutely aware that such brutality is not typical eight years later.
As the NSW Police today introduce an app aimed at assisting victims of domestic violence to covertly report abuse and seek support resources, Hayley is sharing her tale.
In order to empower victims of abuse, the “Empower You” app was created, according to Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith.
The “Empower You” app was created with the best safety safeguards for user privacy and discretion while still being user-friendly, intuitive, and interactive, according to Smith.
“It has built-in security measures to keep it secure on any mobile device, such as passcodes and rapid locks, and has a subdued-looking symbol that’s intended not to draw attention from criminals.
“The diary feature enables a victim to compile their thoughts, including pictures of their wounds and property damage, as well as screenshots of emails or messages, and to record an incident as it occurs, regardless of how small it may be or whether they want to submit it to police right away.
This is crucial in cases of coercive control since, as we all know, victims frequently feel powerless. With “Empower You,” the abuse is openly displayed and the victim regains control.
