People with Disability Australia Incorporated

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Violence, Neglect and Abuse Issues

It is well documented that people with disability, especially girls and women with disability, are over-represented as victims of crime. In particular, people with disability are more likely to be victims of violence, fraud and sexual assault.

They are also more likely to experience multiple episodes of all forms of abuse and neglect since their potential perpetrators perceive there is little likelihood of police intervention or other sanctions if caught.

PWD has conducted a number of projects in this area and written several reports that address this situation:

• SADA project:  Prevention and response to sexual assault in disability and aged care residential settings www.sadaproject.org.au
• Rights Denied: Towards a national policy agenda about abuse, neglect & exploitation of persons with cognitive impairment. Word 105MB | PDF 1MB
  
• Accommodating Violence: Click here for more information regarding the experience of domestic violence and people with disability living in licensed boarding houses.
• PWD Advocacy and Grand Western Lodge: Click here to read the summary of a case study in which PWD worked to remove residents from a licensed boarding house where they were allegedly experiencing significant abuse and neglect.

In the News

• 14 May 2012: Amy Corderoy – Psychosis scripts double for older people
  A news article describing over prescription of drugs for behaviour control in dementia patients.
• 12 May, 2012: Paul Bibby – Six deaths in boarding house stir coroner’s ire
  A news article which details how the NSW State Coroner has slammed the care and treatment of thousands of disadvantaged and mentally ill people in the state's boarding houses, declaring that ''if a society is judged by the treatment of its most vulnerable members, then ours is failing miserably''.
• 11 May, 2012: Meredith Griffiths – Coroner critical of Dickensian condition of boarding house for the disabled
  A radio interview on the NSW coroner’s damning findings on the condition of one of the state's boarding houses.
• 31 March, 2012: Thea Williams - Cast adrift when most in need
  An article on the inquest into six deaths in the 300 Hostel in Marrickville raises questions over standards of care. Published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
• 13 March 2012: Paul Bibby - Serious issues at boarding house where six died: inquest – A news article on the inquest into the death of boarding house residents, published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
• 5 June 2011: Danny Hakim - A Disabled Boy’s Death, and a System in Disarray
  O. D. Heck is one of nine large institutions in New York that house the people with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other conditions. These institutions spend two and a half times as much money, per resident, as the thousands of smaller group homes that care for far more of the 135,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities receiving services.
• 30 May 2011: Daphne Bramham - Evidence rules leave disabled Canadian girls open to sex abuse Canadian girls and women with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to be sexually assaulted or exploited than other girls and women. Overwhelmingly, their attackers are the people they trust most.
• 4 April 2011: Dorothea Puente - Boarding House operator in Sacramento, USA convicted of killing residents This example highlights the vulnerability of people with disability living in private for-profit accommodation settings where reports of violence and abuse were not taken seriously by authorities.
  

Further reading and resources

• www.tellsomeone.org.au
• www.disabilityclothesline.org.nz
• www.1800respect.org.au
• 2011: Advocacy for Inclusion June 2011 newsletter word 6.17MB - pdf 623kb
• 2011: Women, Disability and Violence: Strategies to Increase Physical and Programmatic Access to Victims’ Services for Women with Disabilities by Dr. Lisa McClain, Boise State University, Idaho - word 198kb - pdf 336kb
• 2011: Violence Against Women with Disabilities. The International Network of Women with Disabilities - word 123kb - pdf 92kb
• 2010: The Victorian Ombudsman Investigation: Assault of a Disability Services Client by Department of Human Services Staff - external website
• 2010: Violence against people with cognitive impairments. Office of the Public Advocate, Victoria - external website
• 2008: Building the Evidence Report. Women with Disabilities Victoria - external website
• 1988: Silent victims: A study of people with intellectual disabilities as victims of crime. Office of the Public Advocate, Victoria - external website
• Women, Disability and Violence: Strategies to Increase Physical and Programmatic Access to Victims' Services for Women with Disabilities - external website
• European Disability Forum: Violence Against Women- We want Further Action - external website
  

 

PWDA Publications

The E-Bulletin is a source of PWDA's internal news and developments in the disability sector at the state, national and international levels. It goes out to members and interested others regularly by email.

PWD Media Releases

PWD E-bulletin #62, June 2010

Supported Projects

	Aboriginal Disability Justice Campaign (ADJC)
	Australia Network for Universal Housing Design
	NSW Disability Advocacy Network
	Sexual Assault in Disability and Aged Care
	Touching Base

Human Rights for People with Disability