For more than a decade, Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), civil society organisations (CSOs); the United Nations, people with disability themselves, their families, allies, friends and advocates, have implored successive Australian Governments to act to ‘address and investigate, without delay, violence, exploitation and abuse experienced by people with disability, particularly women and girls with disability, in institutional and residential settings’. Yet these calls and recommendations have been ignored. Our leaders have failed to act, and in their apathy and indifference, have failed people with disability in institutional and residential settings, who continue to experience the most appalling violations of their most fundamental human rights.
As part of a national campaign to address violence and abuse experienced by people with disability in institutional and residential settings, a coalition of national organisations of and for people with disability, have written formally to the Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott, requesting his strong leadership and action to urgently establish an independent National Inquiry into violence and abuse perpetrated against people with disability in institutional and residential settings in Australia. This letter has been endorsed by more than 95 national and State/Territory based organisations from all around Australia.
Letter to the Australian Prime Minister, Hon. Tony Abbott: PDF Version
Attachment 1 – List of Endorsements: PDF Version
Attachment 2 – Case Studies: PDF Version
More information on the National Campaign to End Violence and Abuse against People with Disability in Residential and Institutional Settings is available at: http://www.nationaldisabilityabuseinquiry.com/