Her family was bashed to death by her uncle but Brenda Lin is now the one helping others

Brenda Lin’s family was bashed and killed by her uncle who also sexually abused her, but in a remarkable show of her strength she is now the one helping others cope after extreme trauma.

Brenda Lin has been the victim of the worst kind of evil, her family members bashed to death by an uncle who was abusing her, yet she doesn’t let anger and bitterness define her.

“He doesn’t occupy my thoughts very much to tell you the truth. He is in prison for life, that’s enough for me,” said the woman who lost her mother, father, two little brothers and aunty when she was just 15 years old.

“I know there is nothing more we can do. If someone asked me what more I would want done, I don’t know what the answer would be.”

Ms Lin was on a school trip in New Caledonia in 2009 when her uncle Robert Xie went on a rampage through her North Epping home, killing her dad Min (Norman) Lin; mum Yun Li (Lily) Lin; younger brothers Henry, 12, and Terry, 9 and aunty Yin Yun (Irene) Bin, as they slept.

“I remember my dad gave me his phone and said ‘Make sure you give me a call when you get there’ but me being a teenager I didn’t. I was too cool, ” she recalls.

Brenda Lin says she doesn’t let her uncle, Robert Xie, and his evil deeds occupy her thoughts. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“We had limited access to the internet but one night we had a bit of spare time at our homestay and jumped on the computer.

“A friend from school noticed my friend had logged onto Facebook and sent her a link to a news article.

“They had no words so they sent the article. When she clicked on the link … I could see a photo of my house. I didn’t know how to process what followed. I was 15.”

Seven and a half years later – after months of gruelling court appearances where Ms Lin revealed she had been sexually assaulted – her uncle was convicted and sentenced to five consecutive life terms.

Brenda with her younger brothers Henry and Terry, with her parents. Robert Xie killed the family while Brenda was away on a school trip. Picture: Supplied

The NSW Supreme Court trial heard that Xie had touched Brenda sexually before the murders but that his advances grew more intense when she moved in with Xie and her aunt Kathy Lin after the bloodshed.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton described the killings as “a single episode of brutal and calculated murderous violence”.

How any teen could come back from that is hard to fathom but Ms Lin, now 30 and undertaking a doctorate in criminology, rehabilitation in youth justice, at Sydney University, says she’s learnt how to be a survivor and fortunate to have great support around her.

Robert Xie’s killings were described as a single episode of brutal and calculated murderous violence. Picture: AAP Image/Paul Miller

“I don’t think I am anything special, when anyone is put in a situation you just learn to survive,” she said.

“Human nature shows how strong we are in times of need. A lot of people in society who have achieved things did so under difficult situations.”

Not many, though, devote their entire life to helping others. Ms Lin and four other sexual assault survivors, started up The Survivor Hub in 2021, a non-for-profit organisation that relies solely on volunteers and donations.

It now boasts 12 meet-up locations across NSW and Victoria.

Brenda Lin, along with four others, started up The Survivors Hub. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“We realised the power of connecting with other survivors, sitting with them and sharing lived experiences and how important that was for healing,” Ms Lin said.

“We provide meet-ups both in person and online and it’s a safe space for people to come together and also ask questions. A lot of the time they have things they are struggling with, unsure about what to do next so it’s a great space to share that lived experience.”

Ms Lin said the organisation desperately needed government funding to better support the volunteers, many of whom were themselves victims of sexual violence.

“For us it’s incredibly important to be able to have something good come out of something so tough and horrible,” she said.

“One of the good things that have come out of this for me is my extra families, there’s something really beautiful about being in a family that you choose.

“The wonderful support network around me makes sure I am never alone for Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day, all those special events. Without that incredible support system I do wonder where I would have ended up and that really scares me.”

To find the locations of meet-ups, visit www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/

Originally published as Her family was bashed to death by her uncle but Brenda Lin is now the one helping others