COMMUNITIES SHROUDED IN DESPAIR
08.05.1999
VIOLENCE, hopelessness and alcoholism have created chaos and crisis in Queensland's Aboriginal communities, according to the head of a special inquiry.
Mrs Boni Robertson said there was ``a cry for help by many members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities''.
``We must all admit that something has gone desperately wrong,'' she said.
``The reality is exemplified by the despair in the eyes of the older people who are concerned for future generations, and by the younger members of the community who see no future for themselves and the children they may have.''
Mrs Robertson chairs a taskforce of 45 indigenous women investigating issues affecting the communities.
The committee has handed a preliminary report to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Judy Spence, with the final report due by the end of May.
``A recent discussion paper prepared by Mr Noel Pearson raises the issue of community responsibility,'' Mrs Robertson said.
``He speaks of the welfare dependency in Aboriginal communities and the `parasitic' legacy that has developed.
``Men and women throughout the consultations undertaken by the taskforce have expressed these same sentiments.''
A constant plea to the taskforce was to ban alcohol sales on days that cheques were received so that food and basic necessities could be bought.
The alternative was to give coupons for food.
Another resolution was that community councils be more responsible in the management of wet canteens.
If not, they should have the liquor licence revoked ``until they can demonstrate a much more responsible attitude''.
Mrs Robertson said the final report would concentrate on recommendations covering:
The need for liquor licensing laws to be enforced.
Sly-grogging and the sale of other illegal substances.
Services for victims of violence.
Economic sustainability for communities.
Cultural and spiritual regeneration at individual, family and community levels.
The ``negligent'' attitude of police in meeting their legislative responsibilities.
The inquiry found rape of Aboriginal women an all-too frequent occurrence, with estimates that up to 88 percent of cases were not reported.
``Most of our women who are victims of domestic assault have little concept of their right not to be raped in their relationships, and even if they did know their rights, they are reluctant to seek help from the legal system because they will be abused further by male police and male lawyers who place them on trial rather than the perpetrator,'' the report states.
It says suicide rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are five times that of non-indigenous Australians.
The committee identified pornography as a motivating factor in many sexual assaults by younger community members.
The report states: ``Sexual abuse is an inadequate term for incidents of horrendous sexual violence by young men against younger children in a number of community locations in Queensland over the last few years.
``The incidence of sexual violence is rising and has, we believe, a direct relationship to negative and deformed male socialisation associated with alcohol and other drug misuse, and the prevalence of pornographic videos in some communities.''
The taskforce was told repeatedly that police numbers on communities were totally inadequate, particularly to provide protection for women against violent assault.
As well, non-indigenous workers who came to communities on building and other projects regularly got involved with local girls and women and ``often leave the babies here and they never come back to find out how their kids are going''.
