General News
24 June, 2024
Young survivor hits back, loud and clear
The 11-year-old son of a domestic violence survivor from Mallee has recorded a heartfelt video, saying he does not deserve to live in anxiety and fear.
Toby is the son of April*, the woman who inspired the Wimmera Mallee News group of newspapers to publish a four-week series throughout May - Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month - on the scourge of family abuse.
In The Horsham Times last week, April urged fellow survivors to reach out for support and find the courage to call out their abusers.
This week, her son has found his own voice.
Motivated by his experience and his mum's story, Toby compiled and recorded a speech, sharing his own experiences and thoughts about domestic violence.
He has entered the video in The Parliament Prize, a Victorian government competition inviting students from Years 5 to 12 to have their say on an issue they feel is important, as if they were making a statement as a Member of Parliament.
"The reason why I decided to speak about domestic violence was because it happened to us and it happens to too many people and it's not okay," Toby said, direct to camera.
"I had seen my Mum share her story with the newspaper and because it happened to me too.
"I hope it might change the way domestic violence is, so people don't do it as often, and if they do it, that punishments are harder.
"Little people don’t often get a say, but I want you to hear my voice.
"In my community, domestic violence is bad, in fact, it is really terrible."
Toby asked viewers of his video to imagine if domestic violence happened in their family.
"It has happened to me," he said. "I may be safe now, but I still have the bad memories.
"I have to live in anxiety and fear of what has happened to me in the past."
He said he should be worrying about if his sports team won, not fearing for his safety.
"I am not asking too much to be safe," he said.
"Between 2021 and 2022 nearly 35 per cent of family violence reports police attended had a child there.
"That child has been me in the past, but I don’t want it to happen to children in the future."
* Not their real names