The Easter long weekend came at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in Tasmania.
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Restrictions were at their strictest point, workplaces were closing and families were stuck at home.
It was also around this time when a mother in the state's north became the victim of an alleged violent incident in her own home, in front of her children, with her former partner the accused perpetrator. The nature of the incident - which has progressed to the Supreme Court - left her home uninhabitable, and the accused man is in custody.
Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for Tasmania
She had to seek shelter, but in the time of COVID-19, this was particularly difficult.
After initially staying with a family member, she managed to find emergency accommodation for three nights at a place where coronavirus quarantining was occurring. Once those days were up, she found herself living temporarily with a family member who was a frontline worker, creating further potential risk.
Those weeks saw the greatest spike in coronavirus cases in Tasmania, and the state was gripped by uncertainty of how widespread the pandemic would become.
A friend of the woman, using the pseudonym "Ali" to avoid identifying the victim, said there were risks at every turn, and the overwhelming uncertainty made matters even more difficult.
"She couldn't go home, she felt at risk and isolated in emergency accommodation due to COVID, and she felt at risk of COVID in her family member's house," she said.
"She couldn't get the paperwork she needed because businesses were closed. Really basic logistics became so much harder. Her kids didn't have enough clothes, all of the op shops were shut, she needed to access emergency funding through Centrelink but even that was more difficult than normal because of the numbers of people in Services Australia.
"Navigating the system is hard enough on an ordinary day, let alone when you've got a really heightened situation and the whole world is basically shut down. Every single detail and avenue for this woman was more difficult and delayed."
While acknowledging that Tasmania Police had been highly responsive during the woman's ordeal, it still took time before she was made aware that the alleged perpetrator was in custody.
Over a month later, and family violence services have been able to ensure the woman had a safe and positive outcome.
Ali, herself a survivor of family violence six years ago, said the coronavirus measures - although necessary - would have left women and children socially isolated should they need support in family violence situations.
She said leaving is never an easy choice, made impossible in the past few months.
"The worst of the violence occurred when I was out of the relationship. Nothing got safer, it actually became worse, it kept going," she said.
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"The amount of times I was asked, 'Why didn't you leave?' But I had already left. Just because you leave, doesn't mean it's over. You don't get up and walk out. It follows you, it tracks you."
One woman who understands the dangers of social isolation is Deborah Thomson, who now lives near Burnie.
She endured 18 years of abuse at the hands of her former husband, including years where she was effectively in lockdown in their rural house.
"I was isolated, living on a property far from town with my abuser. Our nearest neighbour was quite apart from us," Ms Thomson said.
"When he'd go to work, he'd take the keys to the house and the car. He'd lock the front gate, leaving me as a virtual prisoner. Sometimes he'd take the landline phone.
"I had absolutely no one I could reach out to. This is what would be happening to victims now. They're feeling trapped and powerless. Isolation will do that to you, no matter what the reason for it is - whether it's lockdown or you're being isolated by your abuser."
It could be months, or even years, before studies can conclusively determine the impact of COVID-19 on family violence.
Victorian family crisis centre Safe Steps reported a drop in the number of women seeking support during the lockdown period. At the same time, men's referral services reported an increase in men seeking out counselling.
This might seem positive on the surface, but Ms Thomson feared it was not telling the full story.
"Safe Steps has been going for years and years, and we've never seen a trend down like this, where men are seeking help more and women are calling less," she said.
"It's heartening in a way that men are seeking help, but it could be an indication that this is an incredibly dangerous time for women and children.
"One of the first things abusers do as part of coercive control is to isolate their victim, setting them up so they're apart from their family, friends, anyone who might be able to help them."
Ms Thomson lives with a disability. She said women with disabilities were at greater risk due to their vulnerability.
The lack of financial support offered to migrants in Australia could also be adding to the risk of family violence, she said. Last year, courts in Launceston heard evidence of violence that Gaurav Endlay perpetrated against his wife, before using her visa status as a tool to pressure her into changing her evidence.
Migrant Resources Centre chief executive officer Ella Dixon said violence against women occurred in all cultures, and there was clear evidence that it increased during times of natural disasters or crisis.
"The crisis that results in lockdowns like COVID inhibit the ability to leave violent situations even more or access support because they're socially isolated," she said.
"The lack of English sometimes can be an additional barrier. Visa applications can be used as a source of power over women.
"We've been conducting welfare checks during this time by phoning clients of our service."
Advocates at Tasmanian not-for-profit organisation Engender Equality have repeatedly expressed concern at a shortage of support services for women who have experienced family violence.
Short-term crisis accommodation service Magnolia Place, in Launceston, plans to have additional self-contained units completed in 2021.
Manager Jenny Bartram said they had also seen a decrease in the number of women seeking support during the pandemic, but the demand was still higher than the supply of crisis accommodation.
"Any situation where there is already a history of family violence could see an escalation because of extra pressure if there has been loss of employment, children not attending school and forced isolation," she said.
"This could make it more difficult for women and children to escape the situation if the perpetrator is at home all of the time."
If you are in need of support:
- 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
- Tasmania Safe at Home Family Violence Response: 1800 633 937
- Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
- Engender Equality: 6278 9090