WHAT an inspiration she has become, in the wake of what can only be described as an utterly heartbreaking situation – Rosie Batty has risen above it all, to fight for the rights of children.
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On what would have been her own son Luke’s 14th birthday yesterday, she was in Melbourne to present Liberal, Labor and Greens senators with a petition, calling for a family law system that puts safety first and foremost.
She wants her son’s legacy to be, in her own words, “something special”, where children can live free from fear and harm.
On a day when any woman in this situation could be forgiven for just wanting to curl up and avoid the world, she has come out stronger than ever.
The biggest problem here is that hers is not an isolated situation, that, too often, children find themselves in the middle of what should be an adult realm, being used as a football (for want of a much better term) by parents and society in general and even the judicial system, which allows it to happen.
The petition, containing more than 20,000 signatures, calls for a complete about face and includes plans for a specialist pathway for domestic violence cases in family courts and increased funding for domestic violence initiatives.
It talks about early intervention and effective legal help for the most disadvantaged, as well as support for women and children to recover financially from domestic violence.
A big step would be better understanding of the trauma faced by children in these most awful situations – and that’s not limited to the now, but can take years of getting back to normal, if ever.
When Rosie Batty’s son Luke was bashed to death by his father at cricket training in 2014, there was a public outcry, but how many more children have been hurt since, emotionally and physically?
How much more do they have to endure for there to be a massive change in our thinking as a society?
No one would tell you it’s okay for children, families, to suffer – yet how much pressure does it require before there’s significant change?
