Australian politician shares deeply personal experience with domestic violence
A member of parliament in Australia delivered an impassioned speech on Wednesday, speaking up for victims and families of domestic violence.
Labor party MP Emma Husar opened up about her rough upbringing as a survivor of domestic violence herself.
"It's taken me a long time to overcome that trauma, to get to where I am today," she said, revealing that 29 of her 36 years of her life had been affected by family violence.
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For the first 13 years of her life, her mother had been at the receiving end of physical violence at the hands of her "always drunk and abusive" father.
"My dad was the son of a WWII German soldier who committed many acts of violence against his own wife and against his seven children," Husar said, her voice quavering with emotion.
"My father had been raised in a home where violence was the accepted norm, at a time where society said these things were private matters. Whilst the blows that landed on my mother during my childhood didn't land on me physically, they might as well have."
Husar tearfully said that despite her father's apologies each time it happened, the violence repeated itself constantly.
"I hope the blame that was launched at my mum during the '90s for not leaving is no longer part of 'the solution' to domestic violence."
"Dad would apologise, promise to be different, and that would work for just a short time," she said.
It led to Husar, her sister and her mother making their escape to nearby women's refuges.
Her father figured out the locations, so they had to move in to hotels, some housed on top of rowdy and noisy pubs.
After returning home, another row resulted in the police coming to intervene.
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Speaking ahead of White Ribbon Day, which is on Friday, Husar said she hoped her candour would break down the culture of silence on domestic violence.
"We know many, many women return time and time again. Even when their lives are massively disrupted along with their children's.
"I hope the blame that was launched at my mum during the '90s for not leaving is no longer part of 'the solution' to domestic violence," she said.
"Mostly victims don't talk about domestic violence, because other people don't talk about domestic violence.
"For many years, I was embarrassed, and I was ashamed. I know that I shouldn't be."
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According to White Ribbon, one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them.
Domestic and family violence is also the principal cause of homelessness for women and their children.
If you have experienced domestic or family violence, here is a directory of resources from around the world that you can contact.
