Since May 2015, my life has been an unpleasant rollercoaster, which pretty much culminated last week in the realisation that the Australian justice system is utterly skewed and there is no such thing as justice for victims anymore. The concept that a man can attack a police officer with a samurai sword, someone sworn to protect and defend our communities, to cause severe, debilitating and ongoing mental anguish to the victim and get to walk away without a day of gaol time makes me sick to the back teeth. But as ever, when in community service, those who serve and suffer as a result are never repaid for their service. A judge who can sit at her bench and preach how Police Officers need to be protected, to lecture on the increased sentencing put in place to deter such offences, how the perpetration of domestic violence in Australia is intolerable, and to then let the man walk out the door with his family, after he has destroyed mine, should not be allowed that privileged position. If you will not use your power to enforce the laws of the country you serve, if you will not sentence offenders in a manner which will deter further crimes, if you will not provide justice for victims - GET OFF THE BENCH. Take your self-entitled arse off the bench and allow someone who has a passion to uphold the law to get up and do the job properly.
I do apologise for my rant - but I find this absolutely infuriating. Not just because it was my family that was affected, but because in this event, I see where the rot in our society is originating. There is no such thing as respect for the law anymore. If judges will not sentence to deter offenders, what point is their position in our society? If they will not enforce and protect our communities, what service are they actually providing for their six figure salaries? Police risk their lives to uphold the laws of our country, to protect victims, potentially becoming victims themselves whilst defending our communities, just to be undermined by the court system. I now have no doubt why an officer will shoot to defend their own life, rather than wait for justice that will never be served. Oh how I wish I could meet a judge with the courage and conviction to do the right thing, to sentence appropriately, to uphold and value the law, and to provide the justice victims deserve. Heaven only knows what I'd be feeling if I'd been the 13 yr old child molested by the man who sat in front of me in that dock, and know he'd only in gaol for 3 months goal for taking my innocence. The poor child was already self harming in the time between the molestation and when that Rock Spider* finally made it to court. What further damage has that judge done by failing to validate the physical and psychological suffering that child endured? Hell, I'm a 31 year old, university educated woman, and as a result of seeing what this judge considers adequate sentencing, I have no faith in our justice system. Would you, if it was your spouse, or your child who was affected? It makes me wonder if this loss of faith in our society as it functions today is the root of our dreams of apocalypse; a chance to reset the rules, to allow us to seek direct governance and justice for the wrongs made against us. To protect ourselves without the restriction and torsion of laws that undermine and expose us by those who are meant to defend us. Just a thought.
* Common Australian term for a paedophile.
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