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Rosie Batty Speaks Out About Her History Of Domestic Violence

Rosie Batty Speaks Out About Her History Of Domestic Violence
Rosie Batty Speaks Out About Her History Of Domestic Violence

Rosie Batty. Photo: Getty Images

Rosie Batty has delivered a heartfelt and passionate speech about domestic violence, questioning the point of AVOs if they aren't enforced, and said the police needed to be better at identifying red flags and intervening. As part of a roundtable conversation on the ABC’s Q&A program last night, Batty spoke out about her personal experience of abuse.

“I live in a nice house, I am an independent… woman, I’m a professional, I’m educated. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody,” Batty said.

When asked a question she says is too-frequently posed to domestic violence victims – why didn’t you leave? – she said that the answer is not important.

“[Sometimes] they don’t want to leave, they just want… the violence to stop,” Batty said. “Why would you want to leave your home, your family, the dreams that you’ve built? Nobody wants to leave something [like that].”

“[But] It will never get better, and you deserve more. You deserve to live a life where you can wake up every day and not have to worry about the day ahead. What decisions you have to make.”

The Australian of the Year went on to argue that there are serious problems in the way domestic violence is reported and prosecuted in Australia.

“You can’t always trust the response from the people that you need to turn to [to] help you in a way that is non-judgemental,” she said.

Batty outlined a process where the police and the courts “co-ordinated” their reporting, with greater monitoring and education programs for young men, an idea she says she would like to see implemented in the near future.

Other panelists included Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja, Acting Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Tim Cartwright, NT radio broadcaster Charlie King and Simon Santosha, Counsellor for Men and Families).

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