WARNING: This article discusses themes that may be distressing to some readers.
The Townsville court has heard personal accounts from First Nations women with first-hand experience of domestic violence, as the inquiry into Queensland Police Services’ response to DV continues.
Survivor of the Stolen Generations, Florence Onus, appeared in court to explain some of the reasons First Nations women can remain in domestic and family violence relationships, as the inquiry continued Friday.
She told the court police officers are not well-enough equipped with historical and cultural knowledge of the First Nations experience, which results in victim blaming.
"It's not taken seriously because, ‘She keeps going back’, [there’s] that sort of attitude.
"A lot of victims... [are] wanting to keep their family together... This goes back to the history of the Stolen Generation."
Ms Onus, who has experience working in community development at the Palm Island Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal Service, gave a critical account of a system which she said was not focused enough on positive outcomes.
"There's no facility locally or programmes that has a holistic approach to dealing with domestic and family violence - it's more a punitive system that we're dealing with," Ms Onus said.
'Family is everything'
In recalling conversations she has had with women across her time at the legal service, Ms Onus also touched on her own experience.
"I can give a firsthand account in my own situation. My husband and I separated when my girls [were] starting high school," she told the court.
"I was a victim of domestic violence and eventually I made the decision to leave. Then when I was just walking down the street with my 13-year-old and she said 'Mum, I was so glad you finally made the decision to leave dad, why did it take you so long?'
"I said to her 'Well, because I'm part of the Stolen Generation, I wasn't raised by my mother and my father'...
Florence Onus at a Black Lives Matter rally in Townsville in 2020. Source: Supplied
"These are the reasons why our women want to try to stay and keep the family together, because of the history of separation and forced removal of our children and our families.
"It’s part of our culture as well… so not only in regard to the history, but within our cultural and our kinship systems: family is everything to us.
"I think if the police have more education around this as part of the historical factors and understanding of culture as well, they wouldn't have this attitude towards our First Nations women."
Lack of social housing keeps women in relationships
Ms Onus says police need to also be mindful that perpetrators use that knowledge against their victims.
"They [perpetrators] know the biggest thing for women is our children and we will do everything in our power to try to hold on to our children," she said.
"The women that I have had to counsel and support... have said that their partner, whether they're First Nations partner or non-Indigenous, they will use that as a threat as part of coercive control."
Another issue raised by Ms Onus (which is not exclusive to First Nations women) is the immediate impacts of leaving the relationship.
"With the current situation, with the lack of housing and social housing, a lot of women make a decision [to stay] because they don't want themselves and their children to be homeless," she said.
"The current status in community is that there is not enough housing available for women fleeing domestic and family violence, let alone anyone else that’s homeless.
"It's really, really difficult. Women have to make all these really hard decisions while they're dealing with a lot of trauma and distress."
"When we look at a lot of these issues in the way that the police deal with our First Nations victims dealing with domestic and family violence... when you look at a lot of the stuff we've been talking about, the institutional racism and systemic problems is a big issue."
The court will next sit in Brisbane, for weeks three and four, from Monday 25 July.
If this story has raised issues for you, or if you are currently experiencing domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or your local Aboriginal Medical Service.
