Blue Mountains new state MP Trish Doyle has reignited an important conversation about domestic violence and given women’s advocates in the Mountains “hope”.
In a powerful maiden speech to NSW Parliament last week, the Mountains MP recounted a night of gun terror at age eight when her father shot at her mother and severely beat her, leaving her mother with internal haemorrhaging and in hospital for weeks (see story p3). It was not an isolated case.
Anita Cox, co-ordinator of the Blue Mountains Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Scheme, said when influential people told their stories of experiencing violence it helped other sufferers.
“Once people are prepared to tell their story in a public forum, and in positions of power, it can have a positive effect on women who are experiencing violence ... letting them know they are not alone,” Ms Cox said.
She said while “Trish’s story is extreme” the community needed to be aware that domestic violence was a silent killer coming in many forms including emotional, financial and psychological abuse.
“It doesn’t matter what socio-economic background we are from, what position we hold, we are all susceptible.”
Ms Cox said the speech gave her “hope”.
“I do feel hopeful, it’s raising awareness of domestic violence and I think we can’t stop talking about it.”
Another stalwart of the field, Susie van Opdorp, from the Katoomba Women’s Health and Resource Centre, said the speech showed that people could recover from domestic violence situations and go on to live “powerful” lives, not as a victim or a perpetrator.
“A lot of women and men and children, when you hear that family history you are worried you will repeat that family history ... it really showed how you can have this history and that is what it is and go on to live a fulfilled powerful life,” Ms van Opdorp said.
Both Ms Cox and Ms van Opdorp said more federal and state government support was vital.
“In the 12 weeks up to March this year in the Nepean and Blue Mountains, 500 women have been turned away [from refuges],” Ms van Opdorp said.
“If they [governments] are truly focusing on domestic violence then we need to see adequate funding to firstly, continue the work we are doing and also, to meet the increased demands on services as a result of the increased focus on domestic violence and the domestic violence reforms,” Ms Cox added.
Ms Doyle said “sometimes it feels like it happened to a different person” and she was determined to advocate strongly on the issue of violence in families and many others close to her heart. “Personal stories need to be heard, in order for us to change in society,” she said.
