#LetUsSpeak campaign finds men miss out on free sex abuse help
The State Government has been accused of gender bias against men after offering female sex abuse survivors free legal help and counselling while their male counterparts got nothing. See the letter that has outraged victims.
Victoria
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The Victorian Government has been accused of “gender bias” against men, after sending two near identical versions of the same letter to sexual abuse victims with one startling difference.
The ‘women’s version’ of the letter offers victims “free, specialised and confidential legal advice” paid by government, whereas the ‘male version’ of the letter offers no equivalent assistance or support.
In February the Victorian Government introduced new laws which ban all sexual assault survivors from telling their stories under their real names once an offender is convicted. They can only do so if they get a court order.
It has impacted tens of thousands of survivors, a number of whom have written directly to government and led to the #LetUsSpeak campaign.
But now only female survivors have been offered free legal help.
In letters sent to survivors on September 3, Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy explained to female victims that the government had “partnered” with a legal service to help any victim who wishes to tell “her” story.
The same letter to male victims was two paragraphs shorter and did not include any offer of support.
The Herald Sun has confirmed the legal service is not available to men.
The ‘women’s version’ also included information about Victoria Legal Aid’s helpline, which was absent from the letter to men.
Andrew*, a clergy abuse survivor silenced by the new law, has accused the government of gender “bias” against men.
“I don’t think it’s right that the government offer help to one set of people but not others. All people should be offered the same level of support.
“Once again the law makers have got it wrong.”
A second male survivor, Adam*, says the double standard “reinforces the mythology and ethos that men should shut up and bear it”.
“It says to us men that men are excluded from the support. That as men, you just have to bury it down, you have to shut up and suck it up and take it.
“It increases the isolation of men. It means we are excluded from justice.”
Both men are now seeking court orders with support from the #LetUsSpeak campaign GoFundMe.
The letters have caused furore in the survivor community and the government has now had to announce a second service will be funded to cater to men.
The government did not answer questions on how much taxpayer money was being spent on the duplicated services, or when the second service would be ready, but it did confirm it was “working with Victoria Legal Aid to set up a complementary service for all victims of sexual assault who similarly seek to share their experience”.
Nina Funnell is the creator of the #LetUsSpeak campaign. To donate: gofundme.com/f/stop-silencing-survivors
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