Woman tells family violence inquiry she was sent home to husband who raped her
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Version 0 of 1. A domestic violence survivor has told how her husband was allowed to pick her up from hospital after she tried to kill herself because he was raping her at home. The woman, who cannot be named, told Victoria’s royal commission into family violence she confided in emergency doctors at a major hospital that her husband was raping her and she wanted to die. When they asked her if she wanted to report the abuse and she declined, staff sent her home with her husband, who was also her carer, she said on Wednesday. “From there I was sent home. He came to pick me up,” said the woman, who has been given the alias Melissa Brown to protect her identity. Related: 'These women are not statistics' – deaths in Australia in 2015 Brown told hospital staff why she had tried to overdose. “I said, ‘My husband has raped me four times this week and I can’t handle this any more, I can’t live like this any more’.” While the abuse was not reported to police, doctors informed child protection services, who visited the family home to question the couple. “He was very matter-of-fact and upfront about it,” Brown said. “When he was questioned ... he said, ‘Yeah, I did that, so what? All husbands do this and I can’t guarantee I won’t do it again’.” Brown, who uses a wheelchair, said relying on her husband to care for her while he was abusing her had a devastating impact on her mental health. She was made to feel that her mental illness was her own fault. The hearing continues. • For support and information about suicide prevention, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 |