Calling out wrongdoing with no fear

Former Labor premier Paul Lennon answers his critics over the O’Byrne affair

WHEN women who have suffered at the hands of men then pick up their local newspaper and see it dismissed as mere “stolen kisses, flirty texts or offensive remarks” (Bevilacqua, Merc 28/08) it’s little wonder so many of them are reluctant or frightened to come forward.

Those of us who have not suffered through this sort of experience can never know the true impact it has on a person. The mental scars run deep. Emotions are bottled up. Their feeling of shame can be all-consuming.

But we can offer empathy, support and understanding.

Having to publicly relive it can often be worse than the incident itself.

Little wonder so many women don’t come forward.

My support for Rachel Midson is unconditional. No amount of smear, innuendo or bias levelled at me will change that.

I will continue to call out wrongdoings without fear or favour.

I can only hope this serves as an encouragement to other men to stand up and shine a light.

Outdated views and their impact on victims must change.

How can the office atmosphere being a “flirtatious environment” be put down to the junior probationary employee and not the boss, as was argued in the O’Byrne case?

In other words, it’s her own fault. How often have we all heard these and other pathetic excuses as defence of unsatisfactory behaviour?

It’s way beyond the time when men should be standing up and calling out the appalling behaviours of other men.

Rather than dismissing the courage of women when they do come forward with claims of ulterior motives, we should be standing side by side with them with encouragement.

Greg Barns (August 30) attacks Kristie Johnston for having the temerity to raise these matters in parliament.

An abuse of parliamentary privilege, he bellowed.

Mr O’Byrne is the victim, he argued.

What must other women be thinking as they read this piffle? Don’t come forward, keep it to yourself, suffer the ongoing mental anguish.

David O’Byrne and his supporters in the media would do well to follow the example of Tex Walker from the Adelaide Crows.

He has owned his racist remarks and committed himself to become a better person.

He’s not doubled down and sought to blame the victim or impugn the motives of others who have called out his outrageous behaviour.

Hopefully in time, as he reflects on his bad behaviour, Mr O’Byrne will be able to acknowledge his wrongdoing without qualification and commit himself to support other women to come forward to seek justice for abuse at the hands of men.

That, I suspect, would earn him a lot of respect.