Links

Tuesday December 11 2007, Media Release

ABORIGINAL PEOPLE MUST SPEAK OUT AGAINST CHILD SEX ABUSE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE

NSW Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson, Bev Manton today renewed her call to Aboriginal people to speak out against child sexual abuse and family violence in their communities.

“As a mother and grandmother it makes me sick to my stomach reading reports of the gang rape of a 10 year old Aboriginal girl and the completely inadequate penalties made by the court on the perpetrators,” Ms Manton said.

“The laws are there to protect the innocent and we would expect the justice system to enforce those laws. In this case there appears to have been a huge miscarriage of justice.

“Such rulings could undermine calls by Aboriginal leaders and the wider community for Aboriginal men and women to speak out and break the silence about child sexual assault and family violence in their communities.

“I would urge Aboriginal men and women, however, to note that steps are being taken to redress this injustice and that they need to speak out to protect their children and themselves against violence and sexual assault.

“We all need to make it clear that violence, in any form, cannot be tolerated.”

Ms Manton, a member of the NSW Government’s Ministerial Advisory Panel on sexual assault in Aboriginal communities, welcomed moves by the Queensland Government to address an issue, which had shocked the nation.

“I welcome the decision by the Queensland Attorney General to appeal against the sentences given in this case and the government’s review of all sentences handed down for sexual assault cases in Cape York during the past two years.

“Clearly, however, there is a national problem in our communities, which has never been dealt with as a national problem.

“That is why NSWALC has spoken out against the manner in which the unilateral Northern Territory intervention was announced and carried out.

“We have had a string of so-called national summits on the issue right through the Howard years but there has never been a considered and concerted attempt at addressing underlying issues such as poverty and overcrowded housing, which plague our communities.”

Ms Manton said last month that cultural reasons such as mistrust of police and the legal system and lack of knowledge about the law, legal rights and processes sometimes stop Aboriginal people speaking out.

“There are also personal, family and community factors including feelings of shame, which are often misplaced. But we need to stop providing excuses and making it easy for those who perpetrate violence.”