Violence in indigenous communities must stop, says judge

Mark Russell -  THE AGE  -  April 26, 2013

A judge in the Victorian Supreme Court has called on society to do something to stop the "appalling" violence in the indigenous community.

On Friday Justice Betty King was sentencing an Aboriginal woman to six years in jail for killing her partner at a caravan park in Bendigo.

She said Veronica Hudson had been subjected to constant violence by her Aboriginal partner, Edward Heron, and everyone appeared powerless to prevent it.

"Your life clearly has been one where you have lacked the power to do much to make it better or worth living," the judge told Hudson, 42, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Heron, known as Woody, after she stabbed him once in the chest.

"Your life is a tragedy in the true sense – as to a degree was Woody's," Justice King said."There are so many appalling stories within the indigenous community in Australia and it is hard to know where to start to do something about it.

"What is not to be doubted is that something must be done. We cannot let this continue as a society. We must stop this appalling violence being inflicted one upon the other by members of the indigenous community."

Justice King said while there had been many attempts to alleviate the problem, they had had limited success.

"Your life reads like a horror story and I have no doubt people have tried at different times to help," she told Hudson, an artist.

"I certainly don't know the answer and I doubt if anyone really does at this point. But as a community it is horrific that this goes on within our caring, egalitarian society."

Justice King said Hudson and Heron, 55, had been drinking from 10am on December 26, 2011, under a makeshift tent at the Bendigo Showgrounds caravan park. Later they argued and Hudson stabbed Heron.

Three days earlier Hudson had been taken to Bendigo hospital after her throat had been cut from ear to ear. She was transferred to the Alexander Bayne Centre for people with psychiatric problems. Hudson told staff Heron had attacked her but she was released into his care the day before he was killed.

"I have to say that I find it extraordinary that if such an allegation was made, which I do not doubt, that a person, no matter how persuasive, articulate or personable they may be, could persuade a psychiatric unit to release an exceedingly vulnerable, damaged woman into his care," the judge said.

She said that if this did happen, the policy at the unit needed to be examined to ensure such a mistake did not recur.

The judge said Hudson had been involved in an appallingly violent, abusive relationship with Heron on and off for years in Alice Springs before they moved to Bendigo.

"You described him as cutting your arms, hand, throat, pulling your teeth out with pliers, that he was very jealous, very suspicious always believing that you were having sex with any male that you met, including your son, your son's friends and any male around the area. The more he drank the worse the jealousy was."

Justice King said she accepted Hudson suffered post-traumatic stress disorder caused by years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse from violent, aggressive, exploitive men.

Hudson was born in Melbourne to an Aboriginal father she has never met. She has four half-siblings from different fathers.

At the age of 13 she went to Kings Cross to work as a prostitute after having been sexually abused since she was a young child.

In a letter to the court, her son Harley said jail had been a positive experience for his mother. She had completed courses in cooking, computers, English, maths and one relating to domestic violence.

Justice King said she believed Hudson's prospects for rehabilitation were excellent.

She was jailed for six years with a non-parole period of three.