On a completely unrelated note, divorced entirely from anything else going on today: all judges in this country should receive mandatory and extensive training on sexual assault trauma including how victims can respond in the immediate & long term aftermath.

This should include: -extensive training on trauma impacts (shock; self blame; denial; confusion; minimising the violence; memory gaps; downplaying what has happened; being friendly to the offender or manufacturing excuses for the offender to avoid seeing oneself as a victim; destroying evidence;

Justice Lee says both Lehrmann & Higgins have "real credit issues"

Lee looks to be considering a 3rd option: that he could be theoretically satisfied that sex occurred but counsel have not gone far enough to prove it was non consensual. Dr Collins calls that a "wicked" legal /1 Scenario.

Dr Collins (for Channel 10) says it is Fact: that Lehrmann was attracted to Higgins; purchased 2 drinks for Higgins; encouraged her to drink; encouraged her to skoll; saw Higgins fall; "pashed" Higgins - all of which was "bizarrely" denied by Lehrmann.

Hot tip folks: if you genuinely want an alleged rape survivor to feel safe & able to go to police pls don't:
🚨 host the meeting about that alleged rape in the room where it happened
🚨 Fail to ensure she has a support person present with her
🚨 Mention an election
🚨 Send her / 🚨 to the wrong police (who do not have the correct expertise) & who work in the same building as the alleged rapist

If u want to support an alleged rape victim to go to police you;
✅ Tell the survivor they are in charge & U will follow their lead
✅ Ask them what THEY want

I have interviewed well over 100 rape survivors - including many gang rape survivors.

I have read 1000s upon 1000s of pages of police statements.

I have seen graphic photos of brutal torture injuries

The 1 thing I find too distressing to sit with? Watching a CrossExamination I have done court reporting. Heck, I've even won a Kennedy Award for "Outstanding Court & Legal Affairs Reporting".

But I absolutely feel sick to the gut when watching Cross Examination of a sexual assault complainant.

It feels like watching an animal be tortured in slow motion

Today, I've written a blistering 1700 word analysis of how #StAndrews school has responded to the brutal death of #LilieJames, but also to previous cases where their students &staff were caught upskirting, sexually assaulting & even choking teen girls. /1
news.com.au/lifestyle/real…
The piece contains a detailed history of the sexism, violence and victim-blaming at the school. But also the excuses, deflections and justifications that have been offered.

Let's remember that when #LilieJame's killer, Paul Thijssen started at #StAndrews school:
-the headmaster had recently downplayed a male teacher being caught upskirting 3 female students
-that teacher (who was a son of a judge) was convicted but allowed to serve his sentence (1/3



-in the community (because #priviliege)
-meanwhile, Paul Thijssen was learning from his headmaster that girls should show "compassion" for the teacher
-at the same time, one of his cricket mates (from his year group) would go on to be charged with multiple sexual assaults

A NSW judge has minimised a man repeatedly raping his own 13 y o step daughter by painting him a "war hero" & saying he was merely "seeking comfort & affection in the wrong place".

#JusticeShouldntHurt

/1

news.com.au/lifestyle/real… "Seeking comfort & affection in the wrong place?"

The man was repeatedly raping a child, not having an extra marital affair with a consenting adult!

She also gave him bail with no restrictions on him being around children despite the fact he had already ADMITTED the rapes.

/2

Just a clarification to media.

LetHerSpeak was not a campaign which Grace Tame ran & I reported on

I created & ran it for 4 years, including the media, fundraising, legal & political strategy. I organised Grace's legal work & that of another 17survivors who Grace doesnt know. Grace's bravery is monumental & I am so proud to see all she has achieved since she came to prominence via the campaign (which i ran in partnership w Marque Lawyers)

When media rewrite history this does not serve Grace or the other survivors in the campaign whose contributions/2

BREAKING: We are now aware of 14 individuals or organisations who have been threatened with defamation by either Christian Porter, Andrew Laming or Peter van Onselen (or a combination there of).

This includes the Older Women's Network - an organisation set up for the dignity /1 rights, & well-being of older women in the community.

Some of their recent work includes raising awareness of sexual assault in nursing homes, & addressing homelessness for older women, incl the 400,000 women in Australia over the age of 45 who are facing housing insecurity./2

Right now there is a big push for consent-ed.

Don't get me wrong. We need to talk about consent.

But we don't JUST need to talk about consent.

When we teach teens 2 drive cars we don't just teach them the red/green/yellow traffic light & consider them skilled drivers.

/1 Yes we teach them how to read traffic lights and stop signs, but we also teach them how their own car works, how to interact safely with other vehicles, what changed conditions mean etc etc.

But people aren't cars. & gender relations aren't traffic conditions. Cont /2

JAIME LEE PAGE - the woman whose case started #LetUsSpeak HAS WON her right to use her name!!

TOMORROW, 'JAIMES LAW' will become reality & ALL adult survivors in Victoria will get their voices back.

WE DID IT!!

@marquelawyers @RapeReform @EROCAustralia

news.com.au/lifestyle/real… Read Jaime's full story here (including the video, interactive timeline and text):

news.com.au/lifestyle/real…

& here's the #LetUsSpeak washup feature 4 the week: w Chrissie Foster, @JohnHer49389874, Saeed Maasarwe & @_Nic_Lee: “I don’t want to ever be in a courtroom again.”

TLDR: The law will change for living survivors 2 restore agency & the planned gag on deceased families is stalled also with @marquelawyers @EROCAustralia @RapeReform

The Vic Govt spin doctors are in over-drive today.

On 14/10/20 @JillHennessyMP BOASTED in 2nd reading speech that the proposed restriction on naming deceased sexual assault victims would "enhance" the privacy of dead

NOW they are changing their story entirely... /1
#LetUsSpeak They r now claiming they r working hard to fix a gag on naming deceased victims which they claim has ALWAYS been in place.

This is outright false (just look at the existing legislation...)

It is the Govt who are actively INSERTING the below into the legislation w this bill /2

NOW Australia - the brain fart of Tracey Spicer - has announced it is closing, having never actually established the Triage system which Spicer & Co collected over $120,000 of public donations to fund.

There were some good ppl involved but this was a /1

now.org.au .... always going to be a failed initiative from the beginning. Put simply, you can't magically triage people to services which either don't exist, or which are already stretched beyond capacity. Something Spicer would have known had they properly consulted the sector b4 launch/2

@crikey_news The idea that bc I'm a journo & sexual assault survivor advocate I should b forced 2 "cop a few body blows & move on" is unhelpful, especially when some of those 'body blows' r rape threats. But the idea that I dont work hard for gender equality is just plain funny. @crikey_news Maybe your journalist didn't have time to research me b4 deadline. I'm not going to list every single thing I've done for gender equality here. I'll let you do the homework. But since we are talking about the 'body blows' I cop - & since it's my body up for discussion (as it...