any updates?
if mother and child are in danger she can do whatever she wants to keep herself and child safe... once she is gone there could be court stuff if he wants but honestly, would a violent man who she had to run away from, get custody!? no point getting legal advice and courts n stuff involved BEFORE she leaves, could cause trouble if he finds out n make him more violent.
yeah there is a good reason to at least speak to a parenting adviser about options. DV situations aren't just about him throwing fists - there is financial and emotional abuse as well. the person needs to know what her rights are, what she can do, where she can go, and how to protect herself. she needs to know about entitlements financially if she leaves etc

yes, up and leaving sounds easy - and do all the administrative stuff later - but reality is, if DV is involved, you can get social worker assistance and get everything in place asap because you've already done the leg work and know what to do. a DVO is kinda pointless if you leave and it takes you four or five days to find out what you need to provide and to who - in those four or five days, anything can happen.