Ethics ....

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Dr Simon Longstaff
Executive Director
St James Ethics Centre
PO Box 3599,
Sydney, New South Wales 2001

Re: Australian Children and Women Trapped Overseas by Domestic Violence and Systemic and Judicial Abuse

Dear Sir,

Further to my letter and information mailed to you 13th November 2007 regarding Australian children and women trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse I am once again contacting you to beg for immediate assistance, advocacy and support for my children and myself and all other children and women in similar traumatic situations. I was assured by your staff person Anne Short at the end of November 2007 that although you were very busy at that time you would contact me in the next month or two, unfortunately there had not been any further communication.

In the meantime I have continued as best I could to try and find someone who cares about these issues and will assist us (see letters posted to the online resource I created in the form of a blog www.womenwhowant2gohome.blogspot.com and enclosed letters).

I am extremely confused and concerned by my lack of success. Is it how I am communicating or what I am communicating? Why are some issues and individuals afforded immediate government assistance and others ignored? Not only does the current government seem to show more concern and compassion for whales than innocent and vulnerable children and women, but during their short term in office have assisted and intervened on behalf of Australians who boarded Japanese ships to protest against whale hunting, the “Bali Nine” and Schapelle Corby in prison transfer negotiations, an Australian woman who chose to undertake a dangerous ice trek across Greenland and needed emergency evacuation, Australians arrested while protesting against and trying to prevent the seal hunt (slaughter) off the east coast of Canada, an illegal immigrant wanted in their home country China on corruption charges, an Australian man jailed in India for supposedly crossing the border illegally – and those are just the cases that I know about from the media. Meanwhile the government ignores my information or insists it has no ability or responsibility to assist us and continues to ignore Australian children and women trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse and not use any of the information I have shared to protect our citizens and prevent this happening to other Australians!

From my experience there would seem to be an enormous ethical gap between what is said and what in relation to violence against children and women and gender equity and human rights issues. (See enclosed letters Prime Minister, GetUp, National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children, Australian Social Inclusion Board, Australian 2020 Summit applications and related letters, and media releases) How is this reflective of government and organisational policy and practice in relation to other gender specific human rights and social justice issues?


This situation has been so traumatic that my eldest daughter attempted suicide and I still cannot get any assistance or protection for us. I am extremely concerned for my children’s welfare, wellbeing and safety, my wellbeing and safety, the wellbeing and safety of the other Australian woman and her children mentioned in my online resource, all other children and women in this traumatic situation, concerned about security of my information and documents and personal possessions still in Canada and desperate for immediate intervention and assistance for all of us.

My priority is for my children and I and the other Australian mother and children mentioned in my online resource to be safely home in Australia with our families immediately, and for others in similar traumatic circumstances, who are unknown to me, to also receive immediate assistance and intervention - to provide the safety and justice we have been denied for so many years.

These issues need to be part of public and political discourse, and until my children and I are safe we need to not be in any way identifiable - knowing you can ask for assistance and remain safely anonymous would be an important factor in other women and families coming forward to share their information of similar unethical experiences. When my children and I are safe I would like to use my experiential knowledge and extensive research to contribute to and participate in educational and decision making processes that would see gender equity, social justice and human rights issues dealt with in a more ethical, accessible, sustainable and solution oriented manner.

Immediate assistance, support and advocacy would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

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