Asnaku Eshete, the mother of Wubanchi Asefaw who was stabbed to death by her husband, Solomon Jenbare at the age of 25, told SBS News she wished more support was available for her daughter.
Ms Eshete said Wubanchi had sought help about her relationship from community and church leaders who told her to go back to her husband – now serving a jail sentence for manslaughter.
"She ran out many times, and went to a friend's place and she said that she was never going to go back to her husband again."
The NSW Ecumenical Council has launched a domestic violence information program that encourages churches to help tackle family violence.
It calls on priests to directly refer anyone seeking advice about domestic violence to professional support groups.
Recent cases of domestic violence in Australia’s migrant communities have highlighted the need to better equip migrant communities to respond to family violence such as engaging religious leaders, who often carry influence.
Salvation Army Captain Robyn Black said the new initiative was the first time churches had acknowledged that experts were best-placed to help victims of domestic abuse.
"For too long, churches have remained silent.
“Churches like to think that they would be setting some values, that they would be leaders in determining how people live, but really we've been silent – to our shame."
NSW Ecumenical Council secretary Father Shenouda Mansour agreed that churches must respond to family violence and said he lamented its increasing prevalence.
"I've seen within many communities and my own community that domestic violence was there and throughout NSW."
The program includes information packs with contact details for refuges and family violence services, in several languages.
Captain Black said it would be particularly valuable to recently arrived migrants, many of whom were dependent on religious communities when they first moved to Australia.
"Being part of a church means that they are able to speak to someone in their first language. It's so important that they're able to speak to someone that they look up to and that they trust."
NSW Police multicultural liaison officer Assefa Bekele said the program could even help prevent family violence from occurring in the first place.
The program is being launched across churches in New South Wales in early 2017.
Similar programs are already underway in other parts of the country.
