IPS-English AUSTRALIA: Ignoring Abuse of Aboriginal Women, Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 15:07:10 -0700 ROMAIPS AP CR DV HD HE IP CS CV IN WO=20 AUSTRALIA: Ignoring Abuse of Aboriginal Women, Children Neena Bhandari SYDNEY, May 22 (IPS) - Revelations of horrific levels of sexual abuse and= violence suffered by women and children in Australia's aboriginal commun= ities have surfaced, even as the fifth session of the United Nations Per= manent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is underway in New York.=20 A leaked confidential briefing paper by Nanette Rogers, government prosec= utor in the Northern Territory, exposes how indigenous culture and close-= knit kinship ties have helped create a blanket of silence over rampant vi= olence against women and children. But activists and people in authority are also blaming government inactio= n and neglect for a tragedy that has its roots in racist subjugation by E= uropean colonisers. Disruptive policies have included forcible separation= of tens of thousands of children from their families between 1900 and 19= 70 to 'breed out' aborigine blood.=20 An extreme case of abuse recorded by Rogers was that of a six-year-old gi= rl getting drowned while being raped by an 18-year-old male who had been = sniffing petrol. Another was that of two infants requiring surgery after = being sexually assaulted by men while the mothers were away drinking alco= hol.=20 Indigenous people make up barely two percent of Australia's population of= 20 million but they suffer far higher rates of alcoholism, unemployment,= imprisonment and domestic abuse. The aborigines and Torres Strait islanders of Australia are among the mos= t marginalised populations in the developed world. Homicide is the leadin= g cause of premature death for indigenous women and they are 45 times mor= e likely to be victims of domestic violence than other Australians.=20 However, many of these crimes go unreported as victims are afraid to spea= k out or give evidence for fear of reprisals, harassment and intimidation= from within their own communities.=20 Rogers, who has experience working as a defence attorney in a 15-year leg= al career, says in her report, entitled 'Child Sexual Assault and Some Cu= ltural Issues in the Northern Territory', that aboriginal people in centr= al Australia must take more responsibility for reporting crime but also f= ollowing through and giving correct evidence in court.=20 She notes that in the case of the six-year-old victim there was a committ= al hearing before a magistrate and the children who were playing with the= girl gave graphic evidence. But the case, like others, was soon overtak= en by fresh tragedies -- suicides, fatal accidents and other premature de= aths. =20 Rogers points out that that children who grow up witnessing violence, or = being victims themselves, become brutalised and go on to commit acts of v= iolence as adults.=20 She cites a particularly dreadful case on an outstation where a man raped= his own young daughter while threatening his wife and other children wit= h a knife. Later, it was discovered that she was pregnant by her father.= =20 Indigenous women and girls are 28 times more likely than other Australian= females to be admitted to hospital for assault injuries, according to a = 2003 report compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Austr= alian Institute for Health and Welfare. Boy fare no better. Last week, researchers from the Queensland University= of Technology revealed that aboriginal boys were ten times more likely t= o be raped than other Australian males.=20 In the last 12 months, in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, there = have been several cases of young women in their late teens stabbing their= boyfriends, with fatal consequences.=20 Australian Labour Party national president Warren Mundine has said that b= y turning a blind eye to violence authorities are making the problem ende= mic. He was quoted saying: ''The police don't want to get involved becaus= e it looks like they're just picking on black fellas. Governments are sca= red because they don't want to be labeled racist.''=20 Violence is so entrenched in some communities that they are simply labell= ed 'dysfunctional' communities or 'outback ghettos'. Rogers blames indige= nous culture for the problems, where men often feel they can disregard th= e law and act with impunity. But aboriginal and Torres Strait islander social justice commissioner Tom= Calma says governments need to work with communities and families to add= ress socio-economic factors that impact on violence. These could be impro= ved housing and living conditions, creation of meaningful employment, rec= reation facilities and general community health education programmes.=20 Oxfam, the aid agency, predicts that widespread abuse in indigenous commu= nities will continue unless government acts. James Ensor, acting executiv= e director of Oxfam Australia, said: =91'Chronic under-funding of basic s= ervices, ordinary Australians take for granted, have contributed to this = crisis.''=20 In the 2006-2007 federal budget only about 90 million US dollars has been= allocated for indigenous health even as the Australian Medical Associati= on identified a 345 million dollar annual short fall in indigenous primar= y health care spending.=20 ''Top down and Canberra-determined policies have not and will not work,''= Ensor said, adding that indigenous leaders needed to be at the centre o= f decision-making at all levels.=20 While Australia's minister for indigenous affairs Mal Brough wants to cal= l an emergency summit of state and territory leaders to discuss the issue= , Northern Territory chief minister Clare Martin says a national summit w= ill achieve little as aboriginal people are demanding action.=20 After indicating that the federal government was prepared to intervene to= remove children from abusive situations and to force parents with drug a= nd alcohol problems to seek treatment, Brough has ignited fresh debate ab= out the 'stolen generations'. At the two-week session of the UNPFII, that ends on May 26, representativ= es of 370 million indigenous people from 70 countries, are campaigning fo= r full participation in decisions that affect them, among other pressing = issues. (END/IPS/AP/IP/IN/DV/HE/HD/CR/CV/CS/WO/NB/RDR/06) =20 =3D 05221713 ORP005 NNNN