News in 5: DV survivor's message; Portia de Rossi's harassment claims; Same-sex bill on the way.

Warning: This article contains information about domestic violence, which may be distressing for some readers.

1. Last week, Rachele Godsall’s partner “attacked her and left her for dead”. Now she has a message for other survivors.

A Perth grandmother has survived an unimaginable 24-hour ordeal in her home, where she was held captive and had her throat slashed #7News pic.twitter.com/SY2ZVDCWqc

— 7 News Perth (@7NewsPerth) November 9, 2017

Rachele Godsall, 45, said she had endured years of psychological and physical abuse at the hands of her partner, Brad Petterson.

Finally, last week, the Perth grandmother decided enough was enough, and told Brad she was leaving. What followed was what she described as a 24-hour ordeal which left her fighting for her life.

Speaking to 7 News, Rachele said the attack started when Brad hit her in the mouth – a hit that she says “felt like it had dislocated my jaw” – before she was made to sit on the floor, her hands and feed tied and a gag in her mouth.

She said Brad then drove her to a bushland, where he attempted to drug her with sleeping tablets. Somehow, she said she managed to convince him not to hurt her and the pair returned to their Seville Grove home.

But the next morning, when Rachele grabbed her keys to leave for good, she said Brad “grabbed a knife and looked at me”.

“[He] cut my throat,” she said.

“Then he did it three more times. Once he [saw] the blood spurting out, I was holding on to my throat, he got off of me.”

Thinking Rachele was dead, Brad stole her car and fled, dying in a car accident later the same day.

“I just kept thinking I wanted to see my kids and my granddaughter,” Rachele said

She managed to reach a neighbour for help, and is now recovering in Royal Perth Hospital after surgery to repair her windpipe. She had a tracheotomy inserted to allow her to breathe after her injuries.

Rachele said she stayed with her partner despite years of abuse because she loved him.

“When he was good, he was good,” she said.

“I know he was sick. I tried to help him for eight years and sometimes you just can’t help somebody who doesn’t want to be helped.”

She now wants other women to know that help is always available.

“The help is there – sometimes you’ve just got to have the balls to go and get it,” she said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Rachele and her family with ongoing medical bills and to buy a new car after hers was destroyed.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, please call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT.

2. Australian actress Portia De Rossi says she was auditioning with Steven Seagal when he ‘unzipped his trousers’.

.@PortiadeRossi claims Steven Seagal exposed himself to her in a private audition https://t.co/FnHIwUJPqB pic.twitter.com/e5AFwrsVsT

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 9, 2017

Australian actress Portia de Rossi is the latest star to call out actor Steven Seagal for alleged inappropriate behaviour.

Putting Twitter’s recent character increase to good use, De Rossi describes an audition with the actor during which she alleges he unzipped his trousers.

“My final audition for a Steven Seagal movie took place in his office. He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, “Well, I didn’t know if he was your type.” De Rossi tweeted on Thursday.

The Arrested Development actress isn’t the only woman to put the spotlight on Seagal’s alleged inappropriate behaviour this week.

The Good Wife actress Julianna Margulies also described an incident with Seagal in a hotel room where she was told to meet him for an audition at night when she was just 23.

While a female casting director set up the night-time meeting, Seagal was alone and allegedly armed when Marguiles showed up.

“I got to the hotel around 10:40pm, and she (the casting director) wasn’t there. And he was alone and he made sure that I saw his gun, which I had never seen a gun in real life. I got out of there unscathed, it’s a long story…

“I never was raped, and I never was harmed. I don’t know how I got out of that hotel room. It always starts with ‘I’m a healer I want to massage you and I sort of squirmed my way out’,” Margulies said in an interview on US satellite radio Sirius XM this week.

Margulies said she also had a close encounter with mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of assault by more than 50 women, during which she described being brought to his hotel room by an assistant. She said Weinstein was in a bathrobe when he opened the door and had candles and a dinner set for two inside his room.

On seeing the female assistant with Margulies he appeared angry, according to the actress, and commended her on a great audition before slamming the door. The actress said she did not get the part.

3. A bill to allow same-sex marriage could be introduced to parliament as early as next week.

A change to the law to allow same-sex marriage could be introduced to parliament as early as next Thursday. #9News https://t.co/Bb3cRE0v8L

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) November 9, 2017

A change to the law to allow same-sex marriage could be introduced to parliament as early as next Thursday, AAP reports.

The results of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey will be released on November 15, a day before the Senate is scheduled to debate what is known as “private senators bills”.

Liberal senator Dean Smith said he would move his bill to allow same-sex marriage “as soon as practically possible” after a majority “yes” vote is known.

“It could be next week, most definitely,” he told the ABC on Thursday.

Under pressure from conservative coalition colleagues, who are drafting their own bill, Senator Smith said it made sense for his bill – for which he is expected to give notice on Tuesday – to be the “starting bill”.

“It already enjoys cross party support, it enjoys the support of some Liberals already,” he said.

He said if there were any improvements to the bill they should be released in detail before next Wednesday.

More than a dozen members of the Turnbull Government are preparing alternative legislation that includes “expansive protections” for religious freedoms.

Senator Smith’s bill – which has the in-principle endorsement of Labor – allows same-sex couples to wed, while creating exemptions for religious organisations that would allow them to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages.

The conservatives want to go further by legislating protections for parents and schools with strong religious views.

4. We finally know some of the famous faces that will appear on the Australian version of Bachelor in Paradise.

REVEALING: Tara, Keira, Davey, Michael, Apollo and Laurina are headed to paradise! #BachelorInParadiseAU. ???????? pic.twitter.com/1lwio7Pk3B

— BachelorInParadiseAU (@BachParadiseAU) November 9, 2017

Ever since an Australian version of Bachelor in Paradise was announced last month, we’ve been on the edge of our seats waiting to see which past contestants would be giving reality TV love a second chance.

And yesterday, our wildest dreams were finally confirmed, with six ex-The Bachelor and The Bachelorette names confirmed.

At Channel 10’s 2018 presentation, familiar faces Tara Pavlovic and Apollo Jackson – who appeared on the latest seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette respectively – were revealed to be heading back to our screens for the spin-off.

Fan favourites Keira Maguire, Davey Lloyd, Laurina Fleure and Michael Turnbull will also be heading to paradise for a final chance at love, the network confirmed.

Bachelor in Paradise is due to hit Australian screens in 2018. To read more, click here.

5. A teen who sent a hoax email to fellow Year 12 students telling them to resit an exam is now under investigation.

The SACE biology exam hoax email that had year 12 students in a spin. Details in 7 News at 6pm on @ch7adelaide. #7News pic.twitter.com/HboLrQ0aey

— 7 News Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) November 9, 2017

A hoax letter claiming to be from South Australia’s school examination board has caused dread among some year 12 students.

According to AAP, the letter, circulated on social media, said there had been a serious breach in Monday’s biology exam and every student would need to resit the test.

But SACE chief executive Jan Raymond said there was no breach and a student claiming to be the author said it was a joke that got out of hand.

“The SACE Board would like to reassure students that this letter was a hoax and there was no breach, and so no student will need to resit this examination,” Ms Raymond said.

“The SACE Board views this hoax as a very serious issue and is investigating its origin.”

The letter featured a SACE board letterhead and a copy of Ms Raymond’s signature.

The student claiming to be the author issued an apology on a SACE Facebook discussion page.

“If I have caused any stress or anger among everyone, I never meant for it to escalate to this degree. I had no harmful intentions,” he wrote.

6. Aussie seafood lovers are being warned of a prawn shortage, just in time for the holiday season.

Seafood lovers are being warned to stock up on prawns in the lead up to Christmas. #9News https://t.co/wewn80HUFg

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) November 9, 2017

Australian seafood lovers are being urged to ‘stock up’ on prawns in the lead-up to the holiday season, with a shortage in supply predicted.

9 News reports that a decrease in Queensland farmed prawns due to a white spot disease outbreak last year has put extra pressure on supply.

Many Queensland tiger prawns were wiped out during the floods, and imported prawns are heavily restricted due to the large number of chemicals.

Demand for wild caught prawns is higher, but even they are subject to sustainable catch limits.

It’s estimated prawn prices may peak at a whopping $50 a kilo this summer.

Greg Imisides from Claudio’s Seafoods told 9 News consumers should start putting their orders in now to avoid Christmas Day disappointment. But, he said, the good news is that there will be plenty of oysters.

“Oysters will be plentiful subject to rain,” he said.

“At the moment, we have been talking with farmers from Tassie and the east coast. There should be plenty of Sydney Rock and Pacific’s as well, providing there’s not much rain.”