Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - August 29, 2024 - Alison Bairnsfather-Scott, a Noongar woman from Perth, Australia has experienced family violence in her life. Her home, which included her parents, brother, and sister Jessica, was a safe haven for those fleeing violence. However, she later realized that her own family tree had shadows, with her mother having a sister murdered before her birth and her aunt currently missing.
Alison's sister Jessica was murdered by her partner in 2019, and she made a submission about her death to the Senate inquiry on missing and murdered First Nations women and children. She has spent her working life in the community service sector, working in out-of-home care for Aboriginal children, refuges for women fleeing violence, and running an Aboriginal maternity group practice.
Despite her knowledge of family violence, she found herself in two violent relationships. She has different feelings about her former partner, and she believes that the trauma that may have shaped the perpetrator is a key factor in keeping Aboriginal people in abusive relationships. She has faced challenges in leaving abusive relationships due to their challenging backgrounds, lack of support systems, and health problems.
After leaving her first partner, Bairnsfather-Scott confronted difficult questions about how she got there. She pushed herself through counseling, obtained a degree, and worked hard to support her children. She then entered another relationship, which was even worse, with mostly psychological violence. She lived in grave fear and struggled to find a way out.
After two attempts, Bairnsfather-Scott obtained a restraining order against her ex-partner and rebuilt her life. She credits her privileges, such as her parents, lawyer, safe place to live, job, and money, for her courage and strength. She remembers knowing that her sister Jessica was dead, and she remembers her as her biggest fan.
Jessica Bairnsfather-Scott, a 32-year-old Indigenous woman, was murdered by her former partner Harold Carter in September 2019. According to government data, 63% of Indigenous female victims of homicide in 2022-23 were killed by a current or former partner, compared to 52% for non-Indigenous female victims. Bairnsfather-Scott and her parents were unable to reach Jessica on the phone and began receiving odd messages from her phone number and explanations from Carter about her whereabouts.
Carter was arrested at Perth airport and convicted of Jessica's murder and sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. The family was told that any minimum sentence of 18 years or more was a "good outcome," but they would never have her sister. Bairnsfather-Scott believes that racism within the western justice system is ingrained and has not been addressed in their country. She has experienced multiple attempts to make a statement at the police station, but was denied due to the officer's lack of attention.
As Aboriginal people, they feel they are treated differently and their lives don't matter as much. The inquiry aims to recommend full-scale reform, long-term funding for Indigenous-led solutions, and address the lack of equity and genuine care in services available to Aboriginal women. She hopes that the inquiry will spell out the issue clearly and take action for the first time.
