‘Disappointed but not Surprised’: A Week of Sexual Assault and Misogyny in the News
Yes - we are sick of this S**t. Enough is enough. We need action from our governments to support women who come forward and disclose rape and sexual violence.
The Problematic Misogynistic Culture at Schoolies
Recently, Schoolies events were held for 2022 school leavers. Schoolies is an annual Australian celebration for school leavers to celebrate the end of secondary school. However, a disturbing, and unfortunately not surprising, incident has surfaced in light of the recent events. A repulsive checklist of ‘challenges’ to undertake at Schoolies went viral after being shared on Facebook. The activities forming the list encouraged discrimination, objectification, and physical and sexual violence. It is only the most recent iteration of the problematic culture at Schoolies, which has long been associated with ‘having fun’ by perpetrating misogyny, toxic masculinity, entitlement, racism, ableism, homophobia, and violence.
Chanel Contos, Founder of Teach Us Consent, asked her following to share their Schoolies testimonies. The result was the disclosure of several instances of sexual assault, sexual harassment, intense coercion, discrimination, and violence. Cheek Media did the same with their following, which revealed similar examples.
As Cheek Media points out, Schoolies is an event attended by young and vulnerable people who are likely engaging in some of their first experiences with alcohol and sex. According to Teach Us Consent, “banning schoolies is not the solution … The solution is education and widespread cultural change”.
* Victims Services are government bodies in each State and Territory that offer psychological, financial assistance and recognition of trauma to survivors of sexual assault.
Bruce Lehrmann Sexual Assault Trial
On Friday 2 December 2022, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, announced that the sexual assault charge against Bruce Lehrmann would be dropped, due to an "unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant". Mr Lehrmann is a former Liberal party staffer who was accused of sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins, who was his colleague at the time, in an office at Parliament House in March 2019.
The proceedings will be discontinued because of the significant harm and trauma experienced by Ms Higgins during, and in the aftermath of, the initial trial. Ms Higgins is currently receiving treatment and support in hospital.
“I have recently received compelling evidence from two independent medical experts that the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents a significant and unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant … I have made the difficult decision that it is no longer in the public interest to pursue a prosecution at the risk of the complainant's life," Mr Drumgold said.
According to Cheek Media, “a justice system which leaves victims more traumatised than when they entered is irreparably broken”. Ms Higgins sacrificed her legal right to anonymity to use her voice to pursue justice, motivate change and expose the rampant culture of workplace sexual harassment in Australia.
Mr Drumgold also commented that Ms Higgins had “faced a level of personal attack" that he had "not seen in over 20 years of doing this work".
This news is simply another disappointing example of our justice system failing to protect survivors who speak up about their experiences.
How We Can Help
If you have had a similar experience, whether at Schoolies or otherwise, and are curious about or considering legal action, we can help. We can advise you on your legal options and support you in navigating these options. We can assist with victims services* applications, reporting to Police, and other legal options specific to your circumstances. We can also refer you to other legal practitioners, counselling and community services.
At Violet Co, we work in a survivor-led and trauma-informed way – our priority is your justice, whatever form that takes. Disclosing your experiences of sexual assault demand to be heard and acted upon, if that’s what you want.
Resources for You
Violet Co is currently running a campaign to change the law to compel Police to investigate all reports of child sexual assault. You can find the petition and sign it here.
If you are a survivor looking to connect with a community of survivors, check out the Survivor Hub. The Survivor Hub is a survivor-led initiative harnessing our knowledge and lived experiences to support, inform and empower people impacted by sexual assault. It is a safe and inclusive space where survivors can connect, be informed and feel supported.
If this news has negatively affected you, please reach out to Full Stop Australia at 1800 385 578 or online counselling is available.
References
Burnside, Niki and Elizabeth Byrne, ‘Rape Charge Dropped Against Bruce Lehrmann, Who Was Accused of Sexually Assaulting Brittany Higgins’ ABC News (online, 2 December 2022) <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-02/bruce-lehrmann-rape-charge-to-be-dropped-brittany-higgins/101725242>
Knaus, Christopher, ‘Bruce Lehrmann Retrial won’t Proceed After Prosecutors Drop Charges for Alleged Rape of Brittany Higgins’ The Guardian (online, 2 December 2022) <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/02/bruce-lehrmann-retrial-wont-proceed-after-prosecutors-drop-charges-for-alleged-of-brittany-higgins>
@cheekmedia.co (Instagram, 30 November 2022) <https://www.instagram.com/p/ClkGT1DvdNl/?hl=en>
@teachusconsent (Instagram, 29 November 2022) <https://www.instagram.com/p/CliUeHKBd4x/?hl=en>
Image: Stewart Munro (YqURND638J0 via unsplash)