'Battered Wife' fish shop to close after backlash in Australia
- Published
The fish and chip shop has been the subject of months of controversy
The owner of an Australian fish and chip shop called The Battered Wife says she has been forced out of business following an "abusive witch hunt" by people unhappy with its name.
Carolyn Kerr defended the name last year, saying the shop in Queensland raised awareness about family violence.
But it has drawn months of controversy, with state lawmakers and others arguing the name trivialises abuse.
Ms Kerr said she could not afford a looming audit by an industry watchdog.
It had been prompted by an "anonymous complaint" about staff wages, she said. The shop in the town of Innisfail has been open since 2017.
"I can't see anyway I can trade my way through it," Ms Kerr said in a video posted online.
She added that unidentified critics of the shop had "threatened to throw bricks through my window", and made complaints to other government agencies.
Ms Kerr did not elaborate on the complaint about wages. The watchdog, Australia's Fair Work Commission, did not immediately comment.
Business 'out of step'
Last year, several female politicians criticised the name of the shop as unacceptable.
"That business is completely out of step with what [the] community's expectations are," said Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'ath.
In her response at the time, Ms Kerr said: "I batter fish, I'm married to my business and I want to make a difference."
The shop is due to close next week.
The UN has said violence against women in Australia is "disturbingly common", external, but experts say it is not an outlier among developed nations.
On average, one woman per week is murdered in Australia by a current or former male partner, according to anti-violence group Our Watch.