26/02/2026
It is not just the abuse survivors carry.
It is what happens after.
It is the lifetime scars imprinted on the mind & soul.
The minimising of the abuse.
The silence when courage finally breaks through.
So sadly the LACK of OUTRAGE.
The injustices!
The survivor becomes the one investigated.
Their memory is dissected.
Their credibility questioned.
Their personal medical history exposed.
Their trauma becomes evidence, to be used against them.
Meanwhile, the accused can present character references.
They are described as “a good worker”, “a wonderful family man”, “such a promising young person”, "they’ve never had a criminal record before" so could they really done this?
Their reputation is defended.
Their privacy very often protected.
YET...
The survivor is scrutinised.
The perpetrator is contextualised.
Even with the r**e shield protections in Australia, survivors can still have deeply personal records accessed in court.
Their healing spaces can become legal battlegrounds.
And still, they take the courage to report.
They report knowing they may receive nothing.
They report knowing they may be doubted.
They report because they hope accountability might stop the next harm.
That is courage.
Silence protects perpetrators.
Accountability protects communities.
When a survivor speaks, the question should not be
👉 “Are you credible enough?”
It should be
👉“How do we ensure this harm does not continue?”
The voice belongs with the survivor!
