The Star: May 18, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday May 18 2017 9
domestic violence nightmare
“I asked how did he get out
because he was locked inside the
house, the only way he could get
out is if someone let him out.
“He said where the f**k are
you, the kids have school in the
morning.
“I said I know they have school
in the morning, leave us alone.”
The children were with Jess.
Rex her german shepherd
disappeared that night and hasn’t
been seen since. She has her theories
on what happened to him.
Jess believes she would have
died in the attack if her children
had not intervened.
She had suffered numerous
gashes to her face, most of which
were down to the bone.
Doctors had to pull splinters
out of her skull, her left eye was
swollen shut and her left eyebrow
was split in two. She also had
several defensive wounds on her
arms and her right hand where
she had tried to block the blows
being rained down on her.
She spent a week in hospital.
Jess’ face is scarred which troubles
her considerably.
“It is hard because I look in the
mirror and I see scars every day.
And every time I see the scars, I
HORRIFIC ATTACK: The photo on the left was taken minutes
after the assault, while the one on the right shows her after
being treated in Christchurch Hospital. PHOTO: POLICE
see him,” she said breaking down
into tears.
“I don’t want to see him, but I
do and there is nothing I can do
about it.
“People say you can hardly
notice them, but I can. He has
succeeded in making me ugly as
such, because for the past year, I
have felt that and that is what he
wanted. He wanted to destroy me
as a person.
“That’s what he has left me
with, he has left me with scars.”
Jess, who is Australian, met
Setu in Brisbane at a church
programme.
“We started messaging and fell
in love. It wasn’t the whole whirlwind
romance with sparks flying.
We were compatible at the time
and now here we are,” she said.
They married in November
2003 and moved to Christchurch
in April 2013 for work. Setu was a
painter/plasterer.
They separated in October 2015
and were divorced last month –
while Setu was in
custody awaiting
sentence.
She had taken out
a protection order
against him in January
2016.
She doesn’t regret
meeting or marrying
him because she
has “three beautiful
children” out of it.
Jess has decided
to go public about
her ordeal to show
the public how
brutal domestic
violence can be and
the tragedy it leaves
behind.
“I’ll be a voice
that people will
eventually want to
tell to shut up,” she said of her
determination to keep domestic
violence in the public eye.
“Don’t be scared about going
to the police and asking for help
. . . they are amazing. You have
amazing police officers here,” she
said.
Constable Natalie Deuchrass
Where to get help
If it is an
emergency and
you or someone
you know is at risk,
phone 111.
Women’s Refuge:
0800 733 843
Victim Support:
0800 842 846
Lifeline: (09) 522
2999
Family Violence
Info Line: 0800
456 450
Aviva Family
Violence Services:
0800 AVIVA NOW
(0800 28482 669)
was one of the first officers to see
Jess in the hospital and said she
was amazed she was
still alive.
“One more hit and
he would have killed
her, I think,” she
said.
Now Jess just
wants to move on
with her life, raise
her kids and give
them the childhood
they deserve.
“I have said to
them it is okay to
love dad, to want
to spend time with
dad,” she said.
“The youngest one
will forget it because
she is too little to
remember, but the
others have good
memories with him
and now they are torn,” she said.
•On Monday, Lealofi Setu
was sentenced in the district
court to five years jail for
wounding with intent to
cause grievous bodily harm,
contravening a protection
order, and aggravated
burglary.
Still trying to get your
EQ damage or repair
issues sorted
We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners get
what their policy promises.
Talk to us about our “no win-no fee” approach.
NO WIN
NO FEE
Ph: 03 377 8855 | 127 Ferry Road, Christchurch City
E: reception@earthquakeservices.co.nz | W: www.earthquakeservices.co.nz