Today would have been Luke Batty’s 13th birthday.
On February 12, 2014, Rosie watched on as Luke’s father, Greg Anderson, stabbed her son to death on a cricket field in Melbourne.
Today, on Luke’s second birthday since his murder, Roise has asked “ordinary Australians” to join her in the fight to eliminate family violence. On 20 June, a “profoundly sad” day for her, she is launching a new initiative to end family violence.
She said, “I can’t bring him back and his absence leaves a terrible hole in my life,” the ABC reports.
Ms Batty continued, “I am campaigning hard, every single day.”
“I’m driving to keep supporting all victims of family violence because no-one should have to go through what I’m going through and my journey doesn’t end.”
In honour of her son, today Ms Batty launched a new family violence campaign – Never Alone.
According to the ABC, Ms Batty said, “[Today] we begin a movement of ordinary Australians to stand beside the victims of family violence and make it impossible for our issue to be ignored any longer.”
“It’s a journey of discovery, to understand the drivers and solutions to the family violence epidemic.
“But it’s also a journey with a mission. One that will hold our leaders to account.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Rosie Batty’s newest campaign, Never Alone.
When Rosie Batty accepted her award as Australian of the year, she spoke honestly and openly with the nation about family violence. Her words were powerful and filled with purpose so we have included them in full here…
I would like to dedicate this award to my son, Luke.
He is the reason I have found my voice and I am able to be heard.
Whilst we celebrate the country that we live in today, there remains a serious epidemic across our nation.
Family violence exists in every pocket of every neighbourhood. It does not discriminate and it sits across all sections of our society.
Family violence may happen behind closed doors, but it needs to be brought out from these shadows and into broad daylight.
One in six women has experienced physical or sexual abuse by a current or former partner, including some of those celebrating with us today. At least one woman a week is killed. Indigenous women experience even greater family violence.
These statistics are unacceptable, indisputable. And if they happened on our streets, there would be a public outcry.
To our government: we need your strong leadership to change these rising statistics, and your investment into both preventing the violence and long-term secure funding to our specialist women’s services to deliver the intensive support so desperately needed.
Tony Abbott and Roise Batty on the day she was announced as Australian of the year.To the Australian people: look around. Do not ignore what you see and what you know is wrong. Call out sexist acts and sexist attitudes. And speak up when violence against women is trivialised.
To men: We need you to challenge each other and become part of the solution. Raise the conversation and don’t shy away from this uncomfortable topic. We cannot do this without you.
To the women and children who are unsafe, in hiding, or living in fear; who have changed their names, left their extended families and moved from their communities to find safety: you do not deserve to live a life that is dictated by violence.
You are not to blame.
Violence to anyone, man, woman or child is never acceptable and never the right choice.
It is simply, not ok.
As the Australian of the Year, I’m committed to building greater campaigns, to educate and challenge community attitudes.
I am on a path to expose family violence and to ensure that victims receive the respect, support and safety that they deserve.
And to Luke, my little one: you did not die in vain and will not be forgotten.
You are beside me on this journey. And with me every step of the way.
For more information on the Never Alone initiative, please visit Neveralone.com.au.
Will you stand with Rosie Batty?
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Rosie Batty is our 2015 Australian of the Year.
Top Comments
Linda, I think this is a thoughtless terrible comment. Have you read anything about Rosie Batty. For one, she never lived with this man after Luke was born. And she fought so hard to have him away from Luke. In the end she had to give up and try and let Luke have a relationship with his father. Don't disrespect Rosie in this way.
I have very mixed feelings about Rosie Batty. When her son was murdered, I read that she didn't blame her ex partner as he had a mental illness. So was her son's death a result of a mental illness or domestic violence? I also read that she and her son slept with baseball bats under their beds, so great was her fear of Luke's father, yet she still felt the need for Luke to have a relationship with him. Rosie Batty has put herself out there, front and centre in the public eye and admits to enjoying the publicity, so people do have a right to have and express an opinion of Rosie Batty, even if the comments aren't always favourable.
I know this is might be an unpopular opinion but I don't have a lot of respect for Rosie Batty. While certainly within the realm of possibility, violent behavior in domestic relationships tends Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse to violence because it takes a lot of time to chip away at a woman's self esteem in order to tolerate abuse. Particularly in case as extreme as Ms Batty. Anything barring extreme mental health problems would any woman stay with a man who would do this in his first few months of dating. I have serious doubts that her husbands first act of violence towards her son was his murder. Especially due to the savage nature of his death. First because it strains credulity to the extreme. We are supposed accept without any doubt despite his savage nature of violence displayed towards he on no occasion gave Luke so much as a smack and her son getting stabbed multiples times and beaten around the head with a cricket bat in front of her came completely out of left field? Especially with such violent background. At she coronial inquest protested the line of questioning claiming she had done nothing wrong but she doesn't prove any plausible explanations as to why her son was constantly put in the path of danger . That child was helpless and voiceless and she made no effect what so ever to provide him with a decent quality of life. I love my husband, but i love my boys more and my first responsibility before my own happiness to ensure they have a safe environment to grow up in. And if her partner was indeed first act of violence towards her son was not the first which i strongly suspect it may have been, I just don't see any woman with a ounce of self responsibility think otherwise. When I was doing social work in my thirties I came across a women small children who allowed their children to endure physical violence. One one occasion had a jug of boiled water throw of them. The idea that mothers should show any responsibility for your children's well being what so ever. ( Like Rosie Batty has done. Is at best, dubious. She should never have been awarded Australian of the year.
Disgusting, you have simply no idea and are talking out your behind
have some respect
Why are Linda's comments disgusting? She has expressed an opinion based on her experience as a social worker and just because they aren't praising Rosie Batty doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to say them. As for Rosie Batty being awarded Australian of the Year, I could understand that if she had been tirelessly campaiging against domestic violence for many years, but to receive this award after only a few months, reminds me a bit of Obama receiving the Nobel Prize for Peace for what he might do.
Bollocks. Greg Anderson had four arrest warrants and several intervention orders, including one to protect Rosie and Luke at the time Luke was murdered. The woman could not get adequate protection from the 'system,' and had to negotiate her own safety, often directly with him! It's one of the inherent problems of domestic violence, not being able to secure safety when people finally leave their abuser - I'm surprised you to hear you did social work in your 30s because you seem to have come away with zero understanding of the problem.
Try the fact she as good as blames Rosie for her sons death
that alone is disgusting