By Erin Parke
There have been emotional scenes at a refuge in remote northern Western Australia as anti-violence campaigner Rosie Batty shared stories with local woman, who are living with some of the highest domestic violence rates in Australia.
“My little boy was 11, he was murdered by his father, he was killed to hurt me, he was killed through family violence,” Ms Batty told the 30 or so women gathered at the Dampier Peninsula safe-house.
“I want you to know that there are women like me, white, privileged, living in a fancy house in a big city, and we feel the same pain.
“You may be here, in very remote communities, but as women, and mothers, we share the same feelings.”
Local woman Francine Joseph, who for years endured beating by two former partners, started to cry as Ms Batty spoke.
“I just felt sad, I had to break down and cry, I had tears in my eyes, I hurt for her and the loss of her child, wish I’d been there to help her,” Ms Joseph said.
“I’ve got two children, she lost her baby, but I still got mine, he didn’t want to get help so I had to remove myself from that lifestyle, but he bashed me first and put me in hospital.”
Ms Batty, who was Australian of the Year in 2015, spent several days talking with agencies and survivors of violence in the Kimberley, which has some of the highest levels of domestic assault and homicide in Australia.
Remote communities suffer
Women living in the Kimberley are four times more likely to be hospitalised from domestic violence than the average West Australian, and reporting rates are increasing at twice the state average.