Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The inquiry into concussion in sport is groundbreaking. There is a high calibre of witnesses, from brain banks and neurologists to former AFL and NRL players, speaking of the harrowing impacts of concussion and brain injury on people's lives. However, what has been specifically enlightening for me personally is the life-threatening consequences of repeated head trauma. This inquiry has raised a number of concerns and heard reliable, credible evidence about the damage to our brains from being concussed.

Concussion occurs regularly to women who are subjected to violence. I, myself, know what it's like to be hit in the head a number of times and to have my teeth broken as a result of family violence and being in violent relationships. A 2018 report by Brain Injury Australia revealed that 40 per cent of domestic and family violence survivors who attended Victorian hospitals over a 10-year period had sustained a brain injury. Experts are concerned that people who did not seek help for domestic violence over the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be living with unknown brain trauma, which can have devastating long-term health consequences if untreated.

What support do these women have? I became a politician and could afford to get my teeth fixed, but the amount of money it costs for women to repair themselves after violent relationships is not there. We have women walking around who've been concussed a number of times by violent partners, who still have no teeth. That brings shame and embarrassment. I don't know how many women I've spoken to who cover their mouth to smile, because their violent partner knocked their teeth out of their mouth. That is head trauma, and it's a head trauma that I don't think this country is looking into.

I understand that the response to concussion in sports is incredibly important to keep our athletes safe, but what this inquiry is highlighting is that women are also at risk of CTE and other kinds of brain injuries as a result of being a victim or survivor of family violence. There are a number of measures that would help to address this issue, from better screening in all states and territories, to clear referral pathways for victims-survivors to access safety and support. Importantly, organisations providing culturally safe support services need proper resourcing and funding. We must ensure that victims-survivors of domestic and family violence who suffer from head injuries receive the same ongoing care and supports as those who suffer a head injury as a result of a sporting accident. The better we understand brain injury and the relationship between family and domestic violence, including amongst First Nations people, the better we can care for our women who experience violence.

We need to do more for our women out there who are possibly walking around with an undiagnosed brain injury from violence that they've experienced. There is nothing in this country that looks at this issue. So, as a victim-survivor who's had repeated head trauma and who knows hundreds of other women—particularly black women—in this country who've also experienced head trauma from violent partners, I believe we have to do more because this is generational and it's a sickness that we can help to prevent.