Greta and Emily
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Greta was in her early 20s when she sustained a ‘massive brain injury’. ‘Caring for an adult child with a newly onset disability is a huge learning curve and is a hard task,’ her mother, Emily, told the Royal Commission. One of her biggest challenges has been protecting and advocating for Greta in the medical and legal systems.
Greta’s treatment involved a craniotomy (surgical removal of her skull). Greta ‘appeared young and fit’ and the nature of her disability was only apparent when one talked to her. This left her highly vulnerable, physically, while in the hospital. At first, she was allocated a one-on-one nurse or nurse’s aide to ‘watch her overnight to ensure she did not come to any harm’. During the day Emily or another family member was with her at all times.
When Greta was moved to a general rehabilitation hospital, however, she no longer had an overnight nurse. ‘The majority of other patients were there for stroke rehabilitation [and] a large number were older men, some with cognitive or behavioural issues,’ Emily said.
Greta was heavily drugged, could not move and ‘her speech was for the most part unintelligible’. Emily was concerned if one of the other patients were to assault her during the night ‘she would be unable to fend them off’.
Emily raised her concerns at a case meeting. Staff shared her concerns, but could not ensure Greta’s safety. Only a few nurses were on duty at night to look after 30-40 patients. Emily was told the only way the hospital could assign a one- on-one nurse was if she was willing to say her daughter was ‘at risk of absconding through the night’.
Emily lied to protect Greta, but found it disturbing the hospital had to resort to a dishonest solution to protect a vulnerable patient. She believes the possibility of sexual assault in mixed gender wards needs to be urgently addressed.
Emily was able to relax when Greta came home, believing she was now safe.
Emily had separated from Greta’s father when her daughter was very young. After leaving the hospital, Greta was staying with him one night a week. About a year after sustaining the brain injury, Greta accused her father of sexual assault.
Greta told her support worker about the assault, who immediately reported it to police. Emily described the detective in charge as ‘professional’ and said he ‘thoroughly investigated the matter’. Police interviewed Emily and the support worker. The detective wanted to organise a specialist team to conduct the interview with Greta, but she was ‘outside the age range of their remit’. Emily wasn’t present at Greta’s interview and was concerned her communication issues might be an issue.
‘Shortly after the interview we were informed that no charges were being laid in the matter and the case was closed,’ Emily said. The detective told her, informally, that Greta ‘would not have been a persuasive witness in court’ and ‘there was little chance of gaining a conviction’.
‘I have realised that as a mother of a young woman with a disability I could not expect the institutions that are there to protect other members of society to function in the same way for her,’ Emily said. ‘Her voice, as it was not strong, (literally and figuratively) would always be discounted.’
Emily would like a specialist, comprehensively trained police unit to work with people with disability to investigate and prosecute allegations.
‘Unless the sexual vulnerability of young women with disabilities is openly recognised, spoken about, and planned for, they will remain easy targets for sexual predators. Unless our institutions such as hospitals and the police have mechanisms to ensure their protection, they will remain victims and potential victims of crimes without redress.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.