The Australian Scene: Domestic Violence

Pope Francis has denounced domestic abuse as "craven acts of cowardice". But will the Australian Catholic Church have the courage to answer his call and root out the "shameful ill-treatment" of women in its midst? And is its all-male hierarchy, still reeling from revelations of child sexual abuse, capable of leading the charge?

One in three women will suffer some form of violence in her lifetime. It’s an alarming statistic that reverberates around the world. Violence against women and girls is a universal problem and perhaps the most prevalent violation of human rights experienced today.

Research shows that the men most likely to abuse their wives are evangelical Christians who attend church sporadically*. Church leaders in Australia say they abhor abuse of any kind. But advocates say the church is not just failing to sufficiently address domestic violence, it is both enabling and concealing it.

Most Muslims believe Islam abhors violence. So why do some say the Koran sanctions "lightly" beating your wife? An ABC News investigation into religion and domestic violence reveals the fight within Islam to stop the abuse of women and prevent imams from telling victims to stay and obey.

The Queensland Police Department's resources on domestic violence.

"As the country mourns the horrific murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey at the hands of their father, many people are trying to make sense of what happened to them – and perhaps learn something to prevent it from happening again ... "