He punched me until I was unconscious; Strangled me just 4 days before my son was born and again when I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter; I was punched whilst my children screamed, terrified. My mind often relives the violence; the punches, the choking and  thinking I would die with my baby growing inside me. As I saw my little boy hitting the ground in my home and his smashed up room; we fled when my daughter was just 6 weeks old- with Police applying for an IVO. However, despite 30 breaches to the Domestic Violence Orders and him being convicted and sentenced three times; my attacker is still free. He hasn't spent a single day in jail. 

I cried as he walked out of court, after being being found not guilty, as there wasn’t 'evidence beyond reasonable doubt', while he looked at me and laughed.

The police’s 'intervention orders' didn’t stop him. They weren't enforced and he found me at a safe house. Unbelievably – legal aid was offered to him and so representing me was denied as a "conflict of interest". Trying to escape the abuse has left me broken. I was left in $30,000 in legal debt for ensuring he didn't get custody of my kids, and forced to flee interstate, for my own safety. He has been allowed to continue family violence by way of economical abuse by not financially supporting his children.

All I want is to move on; but with my attacker still free I can't do that. I want the Government to act to protect victims and fix the laws that continue to leave victims vulnerable.

I seek change to the following:

• Ensuring that the improvements brought by the Bligh Government to the 2012 Domestic & Family Violence Protection Act and at a Federal level by the Family Law Act, designed to protect those who are vulnerable and at risk of family violence are consistently applied in the practice of law with the Queensland Law system.
• Better correlation between the various court systems to protect victims.
• Harsher penalties for breaching Domestic Violence Orders.
• Implement Respectful Relationship Education in Schools.
• Force domestic violence perpetrators to pay child support.
• Ensure victims are offered adequate support by legal services. 

Living in fear and always looking over my shoulder, I am determined to fight for change because right now we have an opportunity to demand that our nation's leaders recognise this as a serious issue that effects so many families and act to better protect and support victims.

Please help me change these laws that leave Domestic Violence victims stuck in terrifying limbo – and in huge financial debt. Please sign & share.

Thank you for reading.  Dani x