Victims of abuse longer have to give statements in full view of others at Bishop Lavis police station.
The station has set aside a room, which it refers to as its Gender-Based Violence Desk, for complainants in abuse cases.
Acting station commander Colonel Muneeb Africa officially opened the facility on Friday November 25.
Bishop Lavis police spokeswoman Sergeant Samantha Adonis said: “Management decided on creating a friendly, isolated space for these victims. This room was created and decorated to give a safe and warm home feeling to the victim who has to run from their supposed safe place to the police station.
“We usually had a specific section in the community service centre for gender-based violence cases, but we found it to be too public for the victim to express his or her complaint or concern. This room is to make sure the victim is in a good space for him or her to give a statement in a calm and safe environment.”
Ward councillor Angus McKenzie welcomed the initiative.
“In this precinct, we want to encourage victims to come forward, to ensure they get the support they need and that the perpetrators are sufficiently dealt with. Colonel Africa must be commended for making this possible and showing that as a society we will be relentless in our fight against gender-based violence,” he said.
The Bishop Lavis Community Police Forum chairman Graham Lindhorst said not all police officers had adequate training to deal with abuse cases but there were now dedicated officers at the Bishop Lavis police station who could deal with such cases.
“With the new office, victims will be spared from secondary trauma,” Mr Lindhorst said.