The children's voices

This mother has exhausted her financial resources and returned to Australia to try to help her children who are now living with a domestic violence perpetrator. She has had support from an Australian MP and social work academic but the government continues to deny her legal assistance.

Another Australian woman with four children had a similar experience with the same Canadian family court. She has also returned home to find assistance.

These women, and others whose children are forced by the FCA to have contact with perpetrators of domestic violence, remain abandoned by a system not prepared to spend the money to ensure children’s safety.

How much longer can the government ignore the voices of children living with abuse?

The government urgently needs to appoint a national Children’s Commissioner to deal with all cases involving abuse of Australian children both locally and overseas.

The National Child Protection Framework, to be published in March, proposes such a commissioner.

If the position is created, it needs sufficient funds to fully investigate complaints and children’s testimony and voices need to be part of the process.

The government also needs to urgently amend FCA procedures to allow children to give testimony and to implement an inquisitorial, rather than adversarial system of law in cases of alleged abuse.