A new site allowing women to secretly access the Women's Refuge website without alerting offenders has been launched.

Women's Refuge has developed the website www.shielded.co.nz which allows victims to access key information about escaping abusive relationships.

They can do it via company websites such as ASB, The Warehouse, Sorted, Z Energy and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Women's Refuge has worked with communications and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi over 18 months to develop the shielded site so that abusers who might be monitoring their victims through their browser history will not know they have been reaching out.

The site never appears in a user's browser.

Shielded appears as an icon on a partner's website - like a badge of support for those suffering from domestic abuse.

When a victim clicks on it, a small window overlay containing the site will appear.

The site can then be closed just as easily - without affecting activity on the host site.

 

Police advice for people in family violence situations

- In an emergency dial 111 and ask for the Police.

- If you or anyone you know is a victim of violence, talk to police or someone who can help.

- If you are concerned about your safety, you (or family or friends) can request information relating to the violence history of a new partner through the Family Violence Information Disclosure Scheme