Public hearing 17: The experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence

Public hearing 17 of the Royal Commission focused on the experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence.

This hearing was scheduled to be held in person in Hobart commencing on 13 October for 5 days. With the ongoing COVID-19 situation and travel restrictions, the hearing was held in two parts, detailed below.

Part one (13 to 14 October 2021)

This was the first hearing of the Royal Commission to focus the experiences of women and girls with disability who have experienced violence and abuse.

On 14 October 2021, Commissioners also heard about the experiences of people with disability who identify as being members of the lesbian, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, queer, asexual and questioning (L(G)BTIQA+) community who participated in a session. This session was closed to the public and was not streamed on our website.

The scope and purpose of Part one of this hearing was to inquire into:

• the nature and extent of violence and abuse of women and girls with disability in family and domestic settings
• the nature and extent of violence and abuse of people with disability who identify as L(G)BTQIA+ in family and domestic settings
• issues concerning the respect for the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disability
• the nature and extent of services to support women and girls with disability who experience violence and abuse in family and domestic settings, including gaps in specific services to support people with disability
• the role of advocates and support for women and girls with disability and people with disability who identify of the L(G)BTQIA+ community who experience sexual violence and abuse in relationships, family and domestic settings
• the gaps in the legal protection for people with disability who experience violence and abuse in relationships, family and domestic settings.

Anyone who believed they had a direct and substantial interest in the subject of this additional day of hearing, as outlined in Practice Guideline 6, was able to make an application for leave to appear by 5pm, Tuesday, 12 October 2021.

Part two (28 March to 1 April 2022)

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and impacts the second part of this hearing was conducted online. The hearing was not open to the public, but witnesses did appear in person in Hobart and Brisbane, and the proceedings were livestreamed on the Royal Commission website. The hearing was inclusive of feminine-identifying, trans, inter-sex and non-binary people with disability.

The scope and purpose of Part two of this hearing was to:

• listen to the experiences of women and girls with disability who have experienced violence and abuse and providing a safe, trauma-informed forum for these women to share their experiences
• continue to examine the nature and scope of violence and abuse against women and girls with disability in family and domestic settings
• examine how the National Disability Insurance Agency supports women and girls with disability who experience family and domestic violence and abuse
• expose the gaps in reporting incidents of violence and abuse against women and girls with disability and ask why
• hear about the role of advocates and support services, including legal support, for women and girls with disability experiencing family and domestic violence and abuse
• examine the practices and policies of the Tasmanian Police to women and girls with disability experiencing sexual, family and domestic violence and abuse.

Anyone who believed they had a direct and substantial interest in the subject matter of this hearing, as outlined in Practice Guideline 6, was able to make an application for leave to appear by 5pm on Monday, 21 March 2022.