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Lisa Flynn Reveals How She Helps Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

By Lisa Flynn
news.com.au
September 23, 2016

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/lisa-flynn-reveals-how-she-helps-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse/news-story/ec70a452e658ccead289b4d03d665a95

Lisa Flynn never ceases to be bewildered by how vile and evil some people are in this world. Picture: AAP Image/Alexandra Patrikios

I CAME home from work today to my seven-year-old daughter who was in inquisition mode. “How was your day today mum?”

“Was work good?”

“What did you do today mum?”

I struggled to find the words for an appropriate answer.

Mummy had spent the morning in court listening to horrific details of a paedophile priest’s long history of abuse during his sentencing hearing. I had spent the morning sitting alongside his victims as they eyeballed their perpetrator — a man who had terrorised their lives and thoughts for so many years. I stood with them as they openly wept, and at the same time cheered, as his long sentence was finally handed down.

Lisa Flynn, far right, with Mark Boughton (centre) one of her highly publicised sexual abuse cases against Farrell and the Catholic Church.Source:Supplied

I had then spent the afternoon talking with a man, the same age as my own dad, who quietly explained to me how as a 16-year-old boy in the Australian Navy he had been so happy and excited to commence his career in the Defence Force.

His father had served in WW2 and there was a long proud family tradition of service. His dreams were stopped in their tracks after his first week as a junior recruit. I listened to him describe for the very first time how terrified he was when he was set upon by a group of older recruits, held down and sodomised with the handle of a mop over and over while he cried and screamed out for his mum to come and save him.

I listened to how his life had spiralled down from there into a sea of alcohol abuse, failed relationships and a strong distrust of authority.

Unfortunately, days like today are not out of the ordinary. I work in a specialist team that is dedicated to representing survivors of abuse. I spend every day at work listening to harrowing stories of abuse that people have been subjected to, often when they were tiny vulnerable kids.

I collect evidence of horrendous accounts of how institutions failed to protect them. I spend my days helping survivors fight these same institutions who, in some cases, continue to defend, dodge and deny their duty. Even though I do this every day, the individual stories never cease to affect me.

Chair of the Royal Commission, Justice Peter McClellan. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will close story submissions at the end of September. Picture: Jeremy Piper.Source:The Daily Telegraph

I never cease to be bewildered by how vile and evil some people are in this world. I never cease asking myself how someone’s internal makeup can be so deranged that they hurt a child when my own instinct is to protect them so fiercely.

I never cease to be absolutely gutted that another human being has had to endure so much pain in their life through no fault of their own. I never cease to be amazed and inspired by the courage that survivors of abuse show when they come forward and tell their story.

This is what keeps me doing what I do. I am honoured to stand beside these people as they tell their story. They do so often to make things better for others — so that no other child has to go through the hell that they have been through.

We have seen the power of the courage of many of these survivors in the current Royal Commission in to Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

More than five thousand survivors of child sexual abuse have contacted the Royal Commission and told the Commission what happened to them.

It is as a result of this courage that the Royal Commission has been able to do so much good already and continues to do so. Recommendations to remove the time limitations that deny many survivors of abuse the right to bring a claim have been adopted in many states and are in the process of being adopted by others. Recommendations for change are being made to ensure that we don’t keep making the same mistakes over again. Changes are coming and they are good.

The Royal Commission hasn’t finished but it is already doing some great work. Picture: by Jeremy PiperSource:Supplied

But it all comes at a price. It is not easy for a survivor of abuse to come forward and tell their story. It is not easy for a survivor of abuse to hear about child sexual abuse in the media, staring them in the face as they turn the TV on to get ready for work, or see newspaper headlines as they walk down the street. In fact, for many, the current Royal Commission and its spotlight on sexual abuse has been the hardest times of their lives to date.

Many of our clients have kept the memories and thoughts of the abuse suppressed for many years. To be confronted with it can, and has, caused lives to spiral out of control.

So I just want to say to these survivors — thank you. Thank you…. and please keep going. So much good is coming from you coming forward and speaking out about what happened to you. I know it is hard yet you do it anyway. Thank you.

Lisa Flynn has been a lawyer with Shine for more than 14 years.Source:Supplied

The Royal Commission has recently announced a cut-off date for people to register for a private session with the Commission. The Royal Commission will close registrations for private sessions on September 30, 2016. It is often said that knowledge is power and I believe that the more information that is shared during the Royal Commission the more powerful the recommendation and change.

One day I will be able to tell my daughter what I did at work today. It will be a long time from now. I will tell her that I got to spend time with brave and courageous people who went through a lot of pain to protect her and all of the other kids from being hurt. Until then, I will tell her I worked with real life superheroes. It’s the only way to describe these survivors.

Lisa Flynn is aPartner & Abuse Law Practice Leader with Shine Lawyers,and has acted for hundreds of survivors, including many who have appeared before the Royal Commission. She is a wife and a mum of three children: two daughters Tully and Addison, and her son Denver.

 

 

 

 

 




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