Andreozzi + Foote’s Post

Good to see institutional reform, including criminal justice reform called for, alongside cultural reform and prevention, in this Conversation article. Court decision-making both reflects and reinforces community attitudes. It sends messages both to the individual parties and, (as a powerful institution representing the state), to the community about violence against women. In the current community debate, can we afford to ignore the blatant victim blaming arguments and excuses for violence against women routinely used, often without limitation or judicial reprimand, in our court systems daily?

Powerful words from Karen Iles on how there can be no healing without justice, and only urgent and innovative changes to policing can deliver both to First Nations victims of murder, sexual assault and other serious crimes. https://lnkd.in/ggTDyTBX

A thoughtful & evidence-based article that outlines the dual problem we face (i.e., culture & law) and sets the ground for primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery as essential approaches to address men’s violence against women. In the middle of such difficult time, it’s excellent to see academics organising these complex ideas with such clarity, balance, and purpose. 🙏🏽💡

Mark Dreyfus do you have the will to protect women and children victim survivors of institutional betrayal in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia? We call on you to recognise the harms perpetrated and to make a national apology to those of us harmed by corruption in the family law industry. We call for a new law that ensures that state Child Protection evidence and Protection Orders are adhered to by family court judges and not overruled. We call on consequences for judicial misconduct. Refusal by judges to allow evidence of child abuse and domestic violence perpetration to result in immediate dismissal by both Houses of Parliament. We call on all children court ordered into the sole custody or partial unsupervised custody of the alleged perpetrator as identified by police, magistrates, child protection, DFSV services to be immediately returned to the safe parent’s protection. Removing children from safe parents (usually the mother) breaches the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We call on you to stand down the Chief Justice William Alstergren who has overseen and covered up human rights atrocities in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia The separation of powers is not a ticket to abuse one’s powers. It is clear the system is broken. Instead of wasting billions on bandaids we must build better ways forward based on equality and respect for innate human dignity. Our current justice system protects perpetrators and harms women and children. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got! We’ve got a whole lot of abuse of power and not a lot of truth telling or safety. We call on all everyone to join with us calling for protection of victim survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence. The Australian people deserve and expect better. Please comment: Stop overruling Child Protection findings and Protection Orders in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and hold judges who ignore and exclude evidence of domestic, family and sexual violence accountable by removing them from the bench through both Houses of Parliament.

Let's support the Gaia Principle. Together, we can make a real difference for survivors. Find out more ⬇ #SurvivorsVoices #EndSexualViolence #SupportSurvivors #GaiaPrinciple #CriminalJusticeBill

It is at government level that the change must begin. So as to show that as a nation we will not authorise the abuse of women and children through systems abuse.

Started the day way earlier than usual, and jumped on two ABC programs before 8am. This interview with Patricia Karvelas is especially close to my heart - covering coercive control, the many and horrifying impacts it has on children, and the capacity of our systems to protect and empower kids who grow up with it. This conversation relates particularly to the murder-suicide in Lismore, in which James Harrison murdered his two-year-old son Rowan. When James was late returning Rowan (who was on a weekend access visit) to his mother, and would not return phone calls, Sophie Roome was alarmed. There was a domestic violence order in place naming Dr Roome as the protected person, and she had reason to be alarmed. At that stage there were multiple concerns: had he taken off with Rowan? Was this now a missing person case? When police went round to the house and got no response, they left. Hours later, after Dr Roome and family members had pleaded with police to go back to the house, police finally forced entry four hours later and found James and Rowan dead. I can't comment on this case specifically, but I've been told by countless protective mothers - and the kids on court ordered visits - that they've called police about safety concerns or reported *actual abuse and violence*, only to be told by police that they can't intervene, because it's a 'family law matter'. If the police delayed their response in this case because of this same old trope, there should be serious consequences. What is the harm to police in erring on the side of caution, and taking the fear of women and kids seriously? Especially when the child access is occurring in the context of an active domestic violence order? There is little that enrages me more than the failure to protect children in the family law system. We need to start protecting children in these systems the same way we would want our own children to be protected. Love and solidarity to Dr Roome, her family and friends, and to all who grieve and worry sick for their children - be they in family law, child protection or state care. https://lnkd.in/g8B-jQvy

Research shows that DARVO tactics (such as counter claims of parental alienation’) are extremely effective, until they’re not. The more awareness we build, the less effective DARVO becomes. Dangerous weapons aren’t always visible, but once you see them, they can’t be unseen. “The discredited and unscientific pseudo-concept of parental alienation is used in family law proceedings by abusers as a tool to continue their abuse and coercion and to undermine and discredit allegations of domestic violence made by mothers who are trying to keep their children safe.” - Custody, violence against women and violence against children, Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem Published on April 13, 2023 and Submitted to the UN Human Rights Council. This report was presented at the UN Human Rights Council Fifty-third session on June 23, 2023 hashtag#HRC53 "Accusations of parental alienation by abusive fathers against mothers must be considered as a continuation of power and control by state agencies and actors, including those deciding on child custody." - UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures Experts - October 20, 2022

New CPS data shows rates of prosecutions and convictions for domestic abuse are largely staying static. Urgent action is needed to improve women’s trust in the criminal justice system, so they feel secure in coming forward.    We know Black and minoritised women, who are disproportionately impacted by so-called ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage, continue to face disbelief, stereotypes and poor responses when seeking help, which means they are even less likely to report.    We are calling for all those working with survivors to undergo specialist training on all forms of violence against women to ensure that investigations are robust and prosecution rates improve. Only then will women trust that they will be believed and pursue much-needed prosecutions. Read our full statement, via the link here: https://ow.ly/Ubx450Qs65B  

The institutional betrayal of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia FCFCOA has been written about by many brilliant academics and journalists. There is nothing transparent or just about the FCFCOA as this article states the DV Symposium was closed to the media in order to control the narrative. Every tactic a perpetrator of DV uses is used by this institution. Again comments switched off. Another common perpetrator tactic to silence those tortured by this system that the Chief Justice heads up. Section 121 is a law that gags anyone from telling their story of torture and misconduct under the Chief Justice’s watch. #HowDareShe speak! If the FCFCOA is innovating, why are children victims of DV continually being removed from their mums, also victims, and court ordered back into the hands of the perpetrator? Why is it that the first thing the Chief Justice’s family court judges do in most cases is throw out the Protection Orders protecting women and children from the perpetrator and reinstate contact for the perpetrator with all his victims? Why are victims dragged through third party unqualified self appointed experts who lie for payment in order to psychologically, emotionally and financially break them into submission? Why are women’s homes and assets being stripped from them and their children being stopped from any contact at all with mums? This court is a place where women and children have no rights whatsoever. Exactly as it was in the homes they’ve escaped. This is a medieval institution. Innovation is utter magical thinking. Another perpetrator tactic is to rewrite history. The Chief Justice is gaslighting the Nation and the world. There is absolutely no work being done to listen to or co-design with survivors of family court corruption and abuse. There are absolutely no steps to repair the harms that have been inflicted on women and children. Just like a perpetrator does to his victim, the Chief Justice is looking Australia in the eye and lying to all of us. He is whipping up a fantasy that is a disgraceful betrayal of all who’ve suffered injustice in his courts. He says men should step up but he is not. He is not doing his job to hold misogynist judges who cruelly harm women to account. He is standing by and ignoring the institutional abuse of women and children and far worse than that he is lying to the public to cover up the torture. Lying to serve one’s purpose is a tactic of a perpetrator. All the innovation in the world does not stop gender based violence. Only truth telling and accountability will stop FCFCOA continued domestic violence and post separation coercive control. Nothing at all has changed regarding the patriarchal, money centred focus of the FCFCOA. Nothing innovative has happened in the structure, culture or people working within it. This is the highest eschalon of the Boys’ Club. The Chief Justice must be stood down and investigated for misconduct and misleading the public.