Your old but functional iPhone X or OnePlus gathering dust somewhere could save someone's life if donated to the ACT's biggest service supporting women facing homelessness due to domestic violence.
Chief executive of Toora Women Kellie Friend told The Canberra Times perpetrators were increasingly using mobile phones as primary tracking devices for women who were already struggling to feel safe.
She said control tactics included non-stop contact with victims, forcing them to share information, installing spyware on their phones, and checking messages without consent.
Toora, whose services reach the most number of women and non-binary victim-survivors in the ACT, had a 26 per cent increase in reported domestic and family violence (DFV) in the last financial year.
ACT Policing reported 1314 family violence-related assaults in the same period between 2023 and 2024.
Ms Friend said almost 500 of their clients could have benefited from having a fresh or "DFV-safe" phone but the organisation only had about 60 such devices available.
Many were donated by staff and volunteers at Toora, 10 were donated by a non-profit called DV Safe Phone.
"In 30 to 40 per cent of [Toora clients who experienced violence] there has been evidence of duplication or of tracking apps being used," she added.
A national survey of women who experienced of domestic, sexual and family violence in 2020 showed about 50 per cent had been forced to share passwords or locations with perpetrators.
The Women's Services Network survey also reported 42 per cent of victim-survivors said they were often tracked using iCloud, and in one-third of cases myGov was misused to monitor their activities.
In one instance, Ms Friend said a perpetrator had tracked a series of phones and brutally assaulted a client before she came to Toora's residential rehab program.
"We were able to offer her a safe phone ... and her words were that that opportunity saved her life," Ms Friend said.
"We get calls from [Canberra's Domestic Violence Crisis Service] who might receive a 2am call about vulnerable victims who have suffered significant trauma, including women with children. We bring them to [Toora] ... they don't have communication devices, they don't have anything with them."
Ms Friend said Toora's escalating client base debunked the myth that domestic violence was rare in Canberra.
"It could be your neighbour, it could be a colleague either as a perpetrator or as a victim. So being mindful that there's a high prevalence of DFV experience in the ACT population, and understanding how you might be able to assist that person is really crucial," she said.
Old or unused phones with good battery lives can be wiped and converted into "DV-safe phones" fitted with free SIM cards which victim-survivors could use for six months or more.
Ms Friend said housing support, clinical support and DV-safe phones were solutions that help victim-survivors move forward and be free from control.
"Rather than throwing your phones out or having them sit in the drawer that fills up really quickly, if they're functioning and their battery life is is really strong, you could contact Toora," she said.
Call (02) 6122 7000, or visit Toora.org.au to donate a phone.
DV Safe Phone called on Canberra businesses to donate old devices to their non-profit which is also able to repair phones before sending them to support agencies.
"It can also be a starting point for discussing domestic violence support in a compassionate and non-triggering manner in the workplace," founder Ashton Wood said.
To donate to them, visit https://dvsafephone.org.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732; Men's Referral Service 1300 776 491; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636
