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Speaker 1: Approache Production.

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Speaker 2: Hey guys, Simai here from the Clink.

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Speaker 3: While we take a short break over the Christmas period,

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Speaker 3: We're going to drop a couple of episodes, some of

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Speaker 3: our favorite of twenty twenty four so you don't miss

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Speaker 3: out and can continue following the Clink. This episode has

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Speaker 3: been proudly brought to you by our longtime sponsored supporters

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Speaker 3: Sideway Surf.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for all your support.

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Speaker 4: This episode of The Clink discusses the sensitive topic of

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Speaker 4: child abuse, sexual abuse and suicide. It may be triggering

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Speaker 4: for some listeners. Please take care when listening. The number

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Speaker 4: four lifeline is thirteen eleven fourteen.

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Speaker 5: Photo recket. Don't try and make you out comfortable. Photo

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Speaker 5: record you to try a world and stuff for your

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Speaker 5: photo rack lab on me going oh the work fort record,

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Speaker 5: ain't trying to link, No trying to wish.

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Speaker 2: Record for.

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Speaker 5: Record rate for the ready for a record. Don't try

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Speaker 5: and make you uncomfortable.

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Speaker 3: Welcome back to season fourteen of The Clink. Real Stories

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Speaker 3: of Redemption. Wow, what a season. We've had a massive

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Speaker 3: shout out the Sideways Serf who always walk beside us

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Speaker 3: and keep us able to deliver you the.

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Speaker 2: Best stories of redemption.

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Speaker 3: I'm so glad everybody's responses, and if you're not already,

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Speaker 3: jump over to Instagram to the Clink podcast page. There

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Speaker 3: are so many messages and I'm grateful to everybody who

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Speaker 3: continues to thank me for what we deliver and our

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Speaker 3: guests for their stories of the redemption.

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Speaker 2: Today's story is very triggering.

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Speaker 3: I will say that to start with, it is not

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Speaker 3: something that we've normally delivered. We will be going dark deep,

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Speaker 3: and it is a very very powerful story. Our guest

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Speaker 3: has worked in the absolute depths of some of the

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Speaker 3: most sickest minds of this country, and it's actually an

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Speaker 3: honor to have her on. She was as what we

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Speaker 3: will call a prison officer or commonly known as a

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Speaker 3: screw to many of you out there who do listen

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Speaker 3: to the podcast, and no offense to her by saying that,

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Speaker 3: but I'm sure that she understands where I'm coming from

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Speaker 3: in layman's terms. Guys, this is a story that I

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Speaker 3: want to share. It's an informative story and it is

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Speaker 3: a story of redemption because our guest has had her

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Speaker 3: own walk of life and is a survivor herself. Today,

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Speaker 3: i'd love to introduce you to Mel Watson. Mel welcome

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Speaker 3: to the clink. This is super super like. I'm actually

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Speaker 3: very excited today to have you here with me and

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Speaker 3: for us to share with the world what I believe

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Speaker 3: will be already like no other.

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Speaker 2: And wow, what a life so far that you've lived.

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Speaker 1: I'm excited to be here and thank you so much

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Speaker 1: for having me.

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Speaker 3: You are a survivor yourself of sexual abuse. Is that correct? Yes,

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Speaker 3: that's right, and you definitely have walked the path a

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Speaker 3: fine line when it comes to drugs and trialing the

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Speaker 3: different things in life that we often do, and many

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Speaker 3: of us get caught up in and end up in

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Speaker 3: some serious addiction which then later leads us into jails.

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Speaker 2: You yourself were in jail.

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Speaker 3: But managed to be on the other side of the fence,

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Speaker 3: so to speak.

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Speaker 2: You were the key holder.

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Speaker 1: On the wrong side.

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Speaker 3: I say, well, the wrong side may be, but for

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Speaker 3: today and for what we'll get into in your story,

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Speaker 3: I must say it has worked out to be the

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Speaker 3: most perfect side because what you do today and I

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Speaker 3: cannot wait to share your story is phenomenal.

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Speaker 2: And the way that you're out there and you know,

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Speaker 2: you really.

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Speaker 3: Are standing up for survivors, and you yourself have so

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Speaker 3: much factual input to what it is like to work

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Speaker 3: around pedophiles, scum of the earth, sexual predators that destroy

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Speaker 3: the lives of people, take their innocence. It is the

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Speaker 3: most as far as I'm concerned, horrific crimes. I don't

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Speaker 3: care what anyone says. You cannot convince me, especially as

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Speaker 3: a survivor myself. Enough about me, let's talk about you.

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Speaker 3: Let's go back to what it was like growing up.

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Speaker 6: I grew up in a domestic violence household. There was

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Speaker 6: a lot of family violence. My parents were very toxic.

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Speaker 6: My brother and I were born straight into that, so

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Speaker 6: we never actually got, you know, the happy childhood that

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Speaker 6: you would expect to have, and we would have police

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Speaker 6: at our house, would go outside after huge fights on

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Speaker 6: the whole street would be watching. And I was, unfortunately

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Speaker 6: in that environment where there was so much neglect because.

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Speaker 1: My parents were either well my mum.

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Speaker 6: Was heavily addicted to prescription pills, so she was always

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Speaker 6: asleep and my dad was always at work, so when

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Speaker 6: they would come back together, it was just chaos fighting,

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Speaker 6: and unfortunately that resulted in sexual abuse. So at the

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Speaker 6: age of four, I was sexually abused by a family

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Speaker 6: member and also a next door neighbor. And it's no

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Speaker 6: disrespect to my parents, but I do put it down

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Speaker 6: to that environment being unsupervised and you know, not watching

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Speaker 6: us and not focusing on us. And then I missed

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Speaker 6: out on a lot of school. When I did go

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Speaker 6: to school, I couldn't interact with kids.

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Speaker 1: I was very I guess I was in a.

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Speaker 6: Way a bully like I was just a very angry child,

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Speaker 6: and I struggled to get along with children, and I

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Speaker 6: struggled to have friends, and people didn't understand me. And

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Speaker 6: then when I got to the age of eight to ten,

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Speaker 6: I think it was between those ages, I was sexually

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Speaker 6: abused at a public pool by an old man, so

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Speaker 6: he was swimming underwater, he had goggles on and sexually

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Speaker 6: abused me in a very busy pool, where I ended

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Speaker 6: up telling the lifeguard and my stepmom at the time,

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Speaker 6: but unfortunately he had left. So there was that, and

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Speaker 6: then there was my parents after they separated. There was

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Speaker 6: a lot of alienation. I had to pick a side.

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Speaker 6: There was manipulation. I was going to school and you know,

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Speaker 6: saying really nasty things about the other parent to my

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Speaker 6: teachers because that's what was put into my head, and

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Speaker 6: then I got to high school and all the hormone

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Speaker 6: uans and all the trauma coming out, and I just

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Speaker 6: started turning to drugs.

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Speaker 1: I was partying. I was very, very rebellious. I was

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Speaker 1: up to no good. I was running away, coming home

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Speaker 1: late at night, fighting with my parents.

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Speaker 6: And at that age, I think age of fifteen, I

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Speaker 6: got groomed by my dad's best friend.

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Speaker 1: So he knew a lot about what happened to me.

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Speaker 6: I disclosed a lot of my life to him as

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Speaker 6: a child, and he unfortunately took that upon him to

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Speaker 6: target me because I was so vulnerable, and it turned

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Speaker 6: into a sexual relationship, which came out when I was eighteen,

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Speaker 6: and that's when I became suicidal.

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Speaker 3: So can I just slow that down for a little bit. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: And to no disrespect of this story, I just wanted

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Speaker 3: to just break it down a little bit more for

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Speaker 3: our listeners. So you're thirteen being groomed by an adult

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Speaker 3: man this sexual relationship. Did you call it a relationship?

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Speaker 3: So was it something that you just accepted.

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Speaker 2: That that was the norm at that time?

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Speaker 1: It was something I called it a relationship.

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Speaker 6: I thought I was in love and actually, up until

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Speaker 6: the age of twenty seven, I was telling people that

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Speaker 6: I regret having an affair when I was because he

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Speaker 6: was married with kids. So I was telling people like,

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Speaker 6: I had an affair and when I was fifteen years

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Speaker 6: old with a man who was in his thirties and

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Speaker 6: he was also my dad's best friend and he was

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Speaker 6: also my boss.

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Speaker 3: So was this more do you think like a And

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Speaker 3: please don't once again, I'm not trying to be offensive here.

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Speaker 3: I would really like to get deep into this because

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Speaker 3: it's yeah, there is so much around these sexual predators,

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Speaker 3: and that's all I'm going to refer to them. As

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Speaker 3: you know, you're a young woman, and you're a very

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Speaker 3: attractive young woman. I'm sure that you were. You were

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Speaker 3: gorgeous when you were younger. This man obviously knew you

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Speaker 3: were extremely vulnerable, knowing the family, knowing you have confined

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Speaker 3: in him.

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Speaker 2: Did you.

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Speaker 3: Feel I guess at that stage that this was more

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Speaker 3: just a comfort thing, a protection thing, him being there.

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Speaker 3: Was it something like that in reference to you just

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Speaker 3: having that male there to know that you are okay even.

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Speaker 2: Though it was wrong.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, I think because there was just no love in

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Speaker 6: my childhood, I think that's always what I was searching

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Speaker 6: for as I got older.

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Speaker 2: And I just wanted to say, it's my point.

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Speaker 6: You know, this person was showing me love and showing

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Speaker 6: me something that not even my parents were.

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Speaker 1: Giving to me.

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Speaker 6: So it was just so hard to realize how wrong

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Speaker 6: I was, especially at that age and with everything that

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Speaker 6: was going on.

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Speaker 3: You know, I guess as a survivor, must I do

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Speaker 3: totally one understand the mindset and mentality of these sick people. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: and I'm sure that our listeners out there who are survivors,

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Speaker 3: and please, if you are, do take very good care

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Speaker 3: of yourself after this, and if it is true, then

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Speaker 3: please reach out and we will leave some information at

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Speaker 3: the end of this for you.

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Speaker 2: Now.

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Speaker 3: I I'm feeling a little bit emotional listening to your

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Speaker 3: story already because I'm visualizing. I'm starting to get a

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Speaker 3: picture of this broken young woman, this broken young girl

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Speaker 3: you weren't even a woman at thirteen, Yeah, not at all,

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Speaker 3: you know, seeking the love that she didn't have, seeking

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Speaker 3: that protection that male I guess comfort.

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Speaker 2: You know that I have a daughter myself who's sixteen.

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Speaker 3: You know, she lays down with me and watches TV

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Speaker 3: and comes in and gives me a cuddle and a snug.

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Speaker 2: Dad can I and that's me is just so heart feeling,

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Speaker 2: you know, for her.

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Speaker 3: Just that's what she needs, that's what she wants in seventeen,

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Speaker 3: she just wants.

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Speaker 2: To be held by and loved her dad. You didn't

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Speaker 2: receive that, but you deserved that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, this man obviously was trying to replicate that, but

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Speaker 3: then taking things well and truly out of context. And

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Speaker 3: I'm sure that he's very conscious of this. Did this

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Speaker 3: come out to his wife?

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Speaker 1: Yes, So.

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Speaker 6: He actually had photos of me that he had linked

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Speaker 6: to his wife's like eye cloud, so that had popped

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Speaker 6: up on her phone and that's what she had found.

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Speaker 6: But I still hadn't told anyone, and he hadn't told

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Speaker 6: anyone who was like he hadn't told his wife or

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Speaker 6: it was. But I ended up telling my dad and

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Speaker 6: it pretty much just all came back in my face.

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Speaker 6: I got victim blamed very badly also by.

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Speaker 3: How fucked is that? I never I'll never forget that

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Speaker 3: I got back handed. The moment I said I was

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Speaker 3: being raped by my nigh was two brothers who lived

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Speaker 3: basically men raping me and I tried to expose them

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Speaker 3: and I was told, you're fucking liar. I'm backhanded, in front,

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Speaker 3: in front of in front of their uncle who my

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Speaker 3: father drank alcohol with, like well what the fuck? And

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Speaker 3: I'm a boy and you know you're a young woman,

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Speaker 3: And it basically is the same thing.

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Speaker 1: It's the second thing. It's so common. I hear it

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Speaker 1: from so many people.

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Speaker 6: It's you know, they come out and then they're the

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Speaker 6: ones in trouble for it, or they're the ones who

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Speaker 6: are getting the blame for it.

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Speaker 1: And it's like.

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Speaker 6: These are children, these are like even teenagers are children

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Speaker 6: and miners.

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Speaker 1: You know, the brain, our brains are not.

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Speaker 6: Fully developed, and it should only lie on the person

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Speaker 6: who did it, or the blame and the shame and

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Speaker 6: everything else should lie on them. It's just one thing

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Speaker 6: that I I copped it so bad. I ended up,

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Speaker 6: honestly like hiding away from where I grew up.

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Speaker 1: I hid away from everyone.

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Speaker 6: I had all my social media just like lockdown, nobody

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Speaker 6: could add me. And I really talk like that really

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Speaker 6: fucked me up. The victim blaming was honestly worse the thing.

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Speaker 6: That's the event itself. Yeah, yeah, made me suicidal at eighteen.

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Speaker 2: He got me fuck me.

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Speaker 1: I actually don't really get emotionally.

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Speaker 6: I.

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Speaker 2: No and I'm gonna be honest with you. I knew

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Speaker 2: this was going to be.

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Speaker 3: I knew this was going to be a solid one,

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Speaker 3: and I knew that.

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Speaker 2: That it's going to be quite rattling, you know.

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Speaker 3: And I think about where we're going to go with

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Speaker 3: this conversation and what you worked around seeing.

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Speaker 2: Far out.

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Speaker 3: I'm having a bit of a moment myself, because, as

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Speaker 3: I said in the start, this is going to be

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Speaker 3: triggering for many.

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Speaker 2: Yeah it's triggering me right now. So apologies, but.

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Speaker 3: This is the clink, and this is real stories of redemption,

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Speaker 3: and this is about real people sharing real stories. And

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Speaker 3: I want to say to you, I I'm sorry you

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Speaker 3: went through that, and I know that you know that

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Speaker 3: doesn't change anything, and we both understand.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, the realities of living with the traumas of abuse,

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Speaker 2: but let's continue. Aideen. You become suicidal.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I was suicidal.

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Speaker 6: I was just like looking back on my life and

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Speaker 6: I was just like fuck this, Like what is there

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Speaker 6: for me?

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Speaker 1: I didn't feel like I belonged. Everyone turned on me,

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Speaker 1: My own dad turned on me, and I just I

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Speaker 1: was ready to go.

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Speaker 6: And it was my mum actually who she flew me

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Speaker 6: down to Melbourne. She was from Victoria and she basically

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Speaker 6: was trying to get me back on track, like get

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Speaker 6: me out of that really dark place I was in.

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Speaker 1: And there was.

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Speaker 2: Like using a lot of drugs at that time. Now,

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Speaker 2: was it something that you.

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Speaker 3: Were sort of that was your way of facing the

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Speaker 3: world and of drugs if you don't mind what we're

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Speaker 3: using and what was your habit, you know what was

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Speaker 3: your thing?

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Speaker 1: Weed was definitely my thing.

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Speaker 6: I was smoking a lot of that, but I was

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Speaker 6: also doing a lot of pills that was like my

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Speaker 6: party drug, and drinking, like drinking heavily, and I was

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Speaker 6: mixing all of that together, and I guess that that

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Speaker 6: also was bringing me down as well. I was turning

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Speaker 6: to all these little escapes. But in the end, it

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Speaker 6: was like once I was coming out of it, like

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Speaker 6: for example, I'd have pills and then the next day

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Speaker 6: I was like on the calmdown, and that's when I

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Speaker 6: was feeling the worst, like just oppressed and you know,

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Speaker 6: fuck this and I don't want to do this anymore.

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Speaker 6: And yeah, I just got to that point where I

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Speaker 6: was just I was honestly, I had it made up

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Speaker 6: in my mind that I was I was going and yeah,

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Speaker 6: I have my mom to think because if it wasn't

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Speaker 6: for her and her supporting me through that, being the

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Speaker 6: only person who supported me through that, I wouldn't have

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Speaker 6: been you.

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Speaker 1: No way.

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Speaker 3: I'm not going to ask you how because as far

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Speaker 3: as I'm concerned, and I've done a lot of work

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Speaker 3: around suicidality and our language around.

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Speaker 2: Speaking of.

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Speaker 3: People taking their lives, and I don't feel that we

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Speaker 3: need to discuss.

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Speaker 2: How things happen and what took place. But I would

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Speaker 2: like to ask.

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Speaker 3: You know that moment happened, you survived, How did you survive?

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Speaker 3: And from there where did things go?

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Speaker 1: I'm just going to tell you I was trying to overdose.

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Speaker 6: And I messaged my mom and I was just basically

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Speaker 6: telling her like I'm going to kill myself. And that's

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Speaker 6: when she was just like please, just I will fly

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Speaker 6: you down to Melbourne the next day. Just come down here,

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Speaker 6: let me let me help you. And I was just

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Speaker 6: like no, like I didn't even want her help. I

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Speaker 6: was just like, no, I've made up my mind, like

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Speaker 6: I'm this is what I'm doing. And it was that

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Speaker 6: conversation with her, I guess where I was just like,

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Speaker 6: you know, what have I got to lose like I

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Speaker 6: can always do this, And at that moment, I really

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Speaker 6: wanted to see my mom as well. Just hearing in

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Speaker 6: her voice and everything. I think that was what pulled

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Speaker 6: me out of it. And yeah, I flew down with her,

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Speaker 6: and basically she didn't really she didn't really fix me,

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Speaker 6: because I just came back even worse. But she stopped

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Speaker 6: me and she gave me a chance to get better.

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Speaker 2: Amen to that.

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Speaker 3: That's all I'm going to say, because you know your

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Speaker 3: journey is an amazing one, and you know that for

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Speaker 3: our listeners that you've really got to hang into this

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Speaker 3: story because it gets it gets crazy and wow, wow,

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Speaker 3: wow wow, and hence me wanting to have you on

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Speaker 3: here to share that. You know, we're about to hit

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Speaker 3: three million downloads and I want every one of those

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Speaker 3: persons to hear your story. And I know it's going

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Speaker 3: to resonate. I know we're going to help people. I

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Speaker 3: know that you're going to be able to have your voice,

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Speaker 3: you know. And it makes me so proud to have

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Speaker 3: a platform that I can do this on and give people,

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Speaker 3: wonderful people like yourself this opportunity to be able to

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Speaker 3: you know, share this terrible and horrific traumatic start to

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Speaker 3: your life, but far out.

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Speaker 2: Man, Wow, what a road that it went after.

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Speaker 6: This is weird when it's so weird, like saying it

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Speaker 6: out loud, because I've been so silent about my life,

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Speaker 6: like I've never really I've never had a voice, if

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Speaker 6: that makes sense. So I'm still very vulnerable, Like sharing

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Speaker 6: my story, it's still very like gives me anxiety, but

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Speaker 6: it needs, like I need to talk about it because

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Speaker 6: I know that it will resonate with others, and I

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Speaker 6: know that it will help others find their voice. And

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Speaker 6: that's that's something that I want everyone to have, is

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Speaker 6: a voice.

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Speaker 2: You connected back with mum.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, had Mum known at this point the real depth

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Speaker 3: of your trauma and abuse or.

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Speaker 6: My parents have always believed me with all of my

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Speaker 6: sexual abuse, but I was blamed for the one at fifteen.

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Speaker 2: So basically it was your choice.

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Speaker 3: You chose to allow that to occur, in those actions

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Speaker 3: to take place, and being that relationship with that married me.

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Speaker 1: Yes, that's correct.

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Speaker 3: What happened once you got back in contact with mum

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Speaker 3: and moving forward from the attempt.

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Speaker 6: So I went to Victoria for a little bit, for

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Speaker 6: maybe a couple of weeks, maybe a little longer. I

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Speaker 6: came back to Sydney and then I just continued what

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Speaker 6: I was doing, partying, drinking, snorting coke.

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Speaker 1: That was my thing when I came back. And then.

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Speaker 3: I think I shouldn't laugh, and look, please, it's not

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Speaker 3: funny because there are people out there that you know.

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Speaker 2: No, no, why why do we all love the coke?

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Speaker 3: I mean, it's just something the I'm addicted to coke

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Speaker 3: zero these days. I don't snort it, but I definitely

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Speaker 3: drink it out of a glass bottle.

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Speaker 1: Now you know what it was.

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Speaker 6: I don't know why, but everywhere I would go, like

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Speaker 6: to a night club or something, I would go into

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Speaker 6: the bathrooms make friends with a girl and she would

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Speaker 6: ask me if I wanted to, you know, have rack

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Speaker 6: up some lines in the cubicle, and what.

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Speaker 2: The fuck is wrong with us? Like, I don't know

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Speaker 2: how many times people do that? And you see them

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Speaker 2: just on a filthy, disgusting, fucking toilet, sit there and

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Speaker 2: tip a bag out, rail it up and then everyone's

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Speaker 2: just snorting like what now that fuck? It is the

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Speaker 2: most beutred. But we've all been there when we're young.

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Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, Like there's no no, elegance is there

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Speaker 3: around it.

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Speaker 2: It's just get it in there and have a good

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Speaker 2: time on the.

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Speaker 1: Top of the toilet bowl gym.

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Speaker 2: Oh wow wow.

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Speaker 3: And we didn't have phones so much back then, and

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Speaker 3: I mean, well I didn't. And anyway, I don't know

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Speaker 3: about your generation because you're a little bit younger, but yeah,

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Speaker 3: far out you know, wow, the old I don't come

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Speaker 3: in handy didn't it over the year?

396
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Speaker 2: Is the key? Hard? Well there you go.

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Speaker 3: So and look, we're not inspiring people out there or

398
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Speaker 3: to go into any queue because of any nightclub and

399
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Speaker 3: snort coke because not at all.

400
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Speaker 2: Please don't. It is shit, literally shit.

401
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Speaker 1: Especially now coke is definitely not coke anymore. So just

402
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Speaker 1: don't even risk.

403
00:22:38,201 --> 00:22:38,920
Speaker 2: No, it's not.

404
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Speaker 3: And the world is a different place to what it

405
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Speaker 3: was many years ago. You know, that style of life

406
00:22:46,481 --> 00:22:50,121
Speaker 3: becomes very routine, and you know, like it is. It's

407
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,521
Speaker 3: such a smoke screen way of living because you know,

408
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Speaker 3: all you're doing is suppressing the truth and the cold

409
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Speaker 3: hard emotions of what you're living with.

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Speaker 1: You know, that's exactly what I was doing.

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Speaker 2: How was for you Mail?

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Speaker 3: When the reality kicked back in during the week, you know,

413
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Speaker 3: and Mel had to really face you know, the facts

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Speaker 3: of what was going on in your life.

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Speaker 2: Talk to us about that.

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Speaker 1: I wasn't facing I wasn't facing anything. No, no, no,

417
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Speaker 1: I was.

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Speaker 2: So you were wearing this mark.

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Speaker 1: I was escaping everything.

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Speaker 2: Oh.

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Speaker 6: I didn't want to face it. I didn't want to

422
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Speaker 6: think about it. I was just going out all the time,

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Speaker 6: smoking weed all the time. And it got to the

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Speaker 6: point where I went out one night and this was

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Speaker 6: This was probably not that long after I came back

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Speaker 6: from Melbourne. I went out and I met a guy,

427
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Speaker 6: and three months later I ended up pregnant at I

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Speaker 6: was pregnant at eighteen, and.

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Speaker 1: That was hard because I ended up getting.

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Speaker 6: Personatal depression with my boy and I had to have

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Speaker 6: a nurse come to my house for a year to

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Speaker 6: help me look after him because I was just I

433
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Speaker 6: hadn't I just jumped from being suicidal and then I'm

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Speaker 6: a mum, do you know what I mean? With someone

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Speaker 6: that I barely know.

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Speaker 1: So that was But you know, my boy saved my life.

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Speaker 6: If it wasn't for him, if I didn't have him,

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Speaker 6: I would have I don't even think I would be here, to.

439
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Speaker 3: Be honest, that's actually very sweet and can I don't

440
00:24:22,921 --> 00:24:27,120
Speaker 3: want to bring your details of your son into this story,

441
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,681
Speaker 3: because that's something I think is something that's very special

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00:24:30,721 --> 00:24:31,761
Speaker 3: that we like to keep private.

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Speaker 2: And I mean, look, I.

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Speaker 3: Occasionally talk about my children they're a bit older, but

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Speaker 3: your son.

446
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,241
Speaker 2: Is of how old?

447
00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:40,201
Speaker 1: He's nine?

448
00:24:40,241 --> 00:24:42,241
Speaker 2: Now? Nine? Wow?

449
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:47,681
Speaker 3: Yeah, Bennington, look at the smile on your face, even

450
00:24:47,721 --> 00:24:48,880
Speaker 3: the way you just light up.

451
00:24:48,921 --> 00:24:51,321
Speaker 2: Then you know, like it's a beautiful thing, isn't it.

452
00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:52,961
Speaker 1: He's so beautiful?

453
00:24:53,001 --> 00:24:54,681
Speaker 6: You know what he said to me the other day,

454
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,281
Speaker 6: he goes, he goes, what's the happiest time you've ever

455
00:24:58,321 --> 00:25:00,400
Speaker 6: had in your childhood? And I was like, look, to

456
00:25:00,441 --> 00:25:03,481
Speaker 6: be honest, bear, but I don't really have many good

457
00:25:03,561 --> 00:25:04,521
Speaker 6: childhood memories.

458
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,281
Speaker 1: And he's like, I'm really sorry about that, Mum.

459
00:25:08,041 --> 00:25:10,801
Speaker 6: It's like I have so many amazing ones with like

460
00:25:10,961 --> 00:25:14,201
Speaker 6: you and Daddy, like that's my ex partner.

461
00:25:14,281 --> 00:25:17,200
Speaker 1: And that was just a big thing for me.

462
00:25:17,281 --> 00:25:20,161
Speaker 6: That was just like wow, like I've done something right

463
00:25:21,441 --> 00:25:23,880
Speaker 6: along the way of the life that I've had, and

464
00:25:23,921 --> 00:25:26,640
Speaker 6: I've no I always wanted to be a mom because

465
00:25:26,681 --> 00:25:29,440
Speaker 6: I always wanted to give my children what I didn't have,

466
00:25:29,801 --> 00:25:33,521
Speaker 6: because I could never never put my kids through anything

467
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:34,681
Speaker 6: like that ever.

468
00:25:35,201 --> 00:25:36,561
Speaker 2: One hundred percent. I love that.

469
00:25:36,801 --> 00:25:39,721
Speaker 3: I absolutely love that, and you know, I think that's

470
00:25:39,761 --> 00:25:43,641
Speaker 3: what makes us be the best we can be as parents.

471
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,441
Speaker 3: And this is not taken away from anybody out there,

472
00:25:46,801 --> 00:25:49,880
Speaker 3: any of you wonderful people who I'm listening to Mel's

473
00:25:49,921 --> 00:25:54,360
Speaker 3: story today, But I will say I do believe that

474
00:25:54,521 --> 00:25:58,360
Speaker 3: those of us that have really had to experience some

475
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,161
Speaker 3: of the most terrific times as children and young persons,

476
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,840
Speaker 3: we know that it's not what we would ever want

477
00:26:06,041 --> 00:26:08,321
Speaker 3: for me growing up and housing Commission in western suburbs

478
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:08,881
Speaker 3: of Sydney.

479
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,400
Speaker 2: The abuse that I endured, the things that I've seen

480
00:26:12,441 --> 00:26:12,921
Speaker 2: growing up.

481
00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:15,840
Speaker 3: The moment I could and I went on the run,

482
00:26:15,921 --> 00:26:17,961
Speaker 3: mind you, as soon as my older myst was twenty

483
00:26:17,961 --> 00:26:21,160
Speaker 3: five now, and the moment his mom was pregnant, I

484
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,640
Speaker 3: was just like, right, name changeaball maut he, let's go.

485
00:26:23,721 --> 00:26:25,680
Speaker 2: I was on the run from the coppers and bang

486
00:26:26,521 --> 00:26:29,401
Speaker 2: he was born. And I did not want I did everything.

487
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,161
Speaker 3: I could, right or wrong to get the fuck out

488
00:26:32,201 --> 00:26:33,761
Speaker 3: of that place of Campbelltown.

489
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:35,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, to find.

490
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:40,160
Speaker 3: A better place. Originally, Yeah, seldom go there ever, because

491
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:43,600
Speaker 3: I have nothing but terrible memories that I never wanted.

492
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,281
Speaker 3: And I went down for a dear brother of mine's

493
00:26:46,321 --> 00:26:49,840
Speaker 3: birthday some years ago, and I flew the children down

494
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:50,681
Speaker 3: there and I took him for a.

495
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,240
Speaker 2: Drive through Ads and Brabery and.

496
00:26:54,241 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 3: They were the areas where I was stumping around and

497
00:26:56,281 --> 00:26:59,760
Speaker 3: it was just it is the bronx fathom and what

498
00:26:59,801 --> 00:27:03,440
Speaker 3: I what I tell people is nothing had changed in

499
00:27:03,481 --> 00:27:07,201
Speaker 3: the thirty years. That's my house that I lived in

500
00:27:07,201 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 3: the street, that the people there was, even families that

501
00:27:10,041 --> 00:27:12,680
Speaker 3: still were there that I knew I've seen and I

502
00:27:12,721 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 3: look there obviously got noldy, you know, but it's a

503
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,521
Speaker 3: generational thing and no one's broken the cycle. And it

504
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,600
Speaker 3: was just actually we actually filmed their SBS did a

505
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:23,680
Speaker 3: documentary which is something you might have seen on my

506
00:27:23,761 --> 00:27:26,281
Speaker 3: page about what I went through.

507
00:27:26,961 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 2: It's called Breaking the Cycle. So we went back there

508
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,961
Speaker 2: and we filmed there, and you just it's a vortex.

509
00:27:33,561 --> 00:27:34,840
Speaker 2: You've got to get out of there.

510
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,241
Speaker 3: If you want to have a better life, you have

511
00:27:37,321 --> 00:27:38,121
Speaker 3: to get out of there.

512
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,281
Speaker 6: Yeah, the cycle just continues if you don't. That's the

513
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:46,041
Speaker 6: unfortunate thing. Not many are willing to break the cycle.

514
00:27:46,561 --> 00:27:49,801
Speaker 6: I don't feel like out like the older generation, no disrespect,

515
00:27:50,761 --> 00:27:53,481
Speaker 6: are the ones that really struggled with breaking the cycle

516
00:27:53,801 --> 00:27:55,001
Speaker 6: for their kids.

517
00:27:55,521 --> 00:27:58,600
Speaker 3: I don't think they understood truly, how like I really

518
00:27:58,681 --> 00:28:00,721
Speaker 3: don't like and the things and the effort that you've

519
00:28:00,721 --> 00:28:03,441
Speaker 3: got to go through that you sacrifice.

520
00:28:02,801 --> 00:28:05,441
Speaker 2: You know, I guess the comfort zone of.

521
00:28:06,041 --> 00:28:11,161
Speaker 3: Their neighborhood, their their daily routines, you know, and it

522
00:28:11,201 --> 00:28:14,641
Speaker 3: is it's just the same ship day in and day out,

523
00:28:15,241 --> 00:28:17,561
Speaker 3: and it just gets handed down. You know, you become

524
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,400
Speaker 3: such a product of your environment. Breaking the cycle is

525
00:28:21,441 --> 00:28:24,521
Speaker 3: the key. And if we can do it and reach

526
00:28:24,561 --> 00:28:26,481
Speaker 3: out and help people to do that, I mean, it's

527
00:28:26,521 --> 00:28:28,961
Speaker 3: not easy financially, it's not easy emotionally.

528
00:28:30,561 --> 00:28:32,640
Speaker 2: And you obviously know that yourself.

529
00:28:33,761 --> 00:28:38,121
Speaker 3: You went from you know, a life of I guess

530
00:28:38,761 --> 00:28:44,161
Speaker 3: just fucking run on a mark, you know, to starting

531
00:28:44,201 --> 00:28:49,001
Speaker 3: to get yourself straight and how the hell you got

532
00:28:49,041 --> 00:28:53,441
Speaker 3: where you were where you got to and remained and

533
00:28:53,561 --> 00:28:58,881
Speaker 3: remained a legitimate, legitimate screw prison officer. That's got me

534
00:28:58,961 --> 00:29:02,881
Speaker 3: blown because you're just one of the girls from You're

535
00:29:02,961 --> 00:29:04,761
Speaker 3: just you're just one of the girls from the hood, mate,

536
00:29:04,801 --> 00:29:05,480
Speaker 3: you know, one of them.

537
00:29:05,521 --> 00:29:08,641
Speaker 2: You're one of them. You're one of them. Cool ah,

538
00:29:08,761 --> 00:29:11,761
Speaker 2: But you know what I mean, I could I could legit,

539
00:29:11,961 --> 00:29:13,601
Speaker 2: just kick kick back with you.

540
00:29:13,721 --> 00:29:16,081
Speaker 3: You'd be someone I wouldn't even wouldn't even second thought

541
00:29:16,081 --> 00:29:17,121
Speaker 3: about hanging out with.

542
00:29:17,081 --> 00:29:18,881
Speaker 2: You know what I mean, you'd be just one of us.

543
00:29:19,281 --> 00:29:27,721
Speaker 2: But you're so not one of us. Yes, one that

544
00:29:27,921 --> 00:29:29,281
Speaker 2: fucking went against this.

545
00:29:30,881 --> 00:29:33,241
Speaker 3: Well, the morals and the codes went out the window,

546
00:29:33,281 --> 00:29:37,321
Speaker 3: and on the blues you went, Hey, couldn't you supported

547
00:29:37,321 --> 00:29:38,960
Speaker 3: the greens rather than the Blues?

548
00:29:39,681 --> 00:29:41,041
Speaker 1: I didn't know how bad it was?

549
00:29:42,921 --> 00:29:45,761
Speaker 2: Oh God love you so Mel. You went from.

550
00:29:46,201 --> 00:29:49,440
Speaker 3: This, this life of partying and running a mark and

551
00:29:49,481 --> 00:29:51,081
Speaker 3: as I said, you know, you could have well and

552
00:29:51,161 --> 00:29:55,041
Speaker 3: truly been that person that you know would have ended

553
00:29:55,121 --> 00:29:58,081
Speaker 3: up in her greens and you know, in deep addiction

554
00:29:58,241 --> 00:30:02,401
Speaker 3: and crime. Where did that start to straighten out and

555
00:30:02,481 --> 00:30:04,321
Speaker 3: your life start to take a different turn?

556
00:30:04,441 --> 00:30:06,761
Speaker 2: You know what was that are like going into your twenties?

557
00:30:07,521 --> 00:30:09,601
Speaker 6: It was when I became a mum, to be honest,

558
00:30:09,961 --> 00:30:13,121
Speaker 6: like I had no choice but to pull my head

559
00:30:13,161 --> 00:30:16,440
Speaker 6: in like I had to for my kids, well, for

560
00:30:16,561 --> 00:30:16,921
Speaker 6: my boy.

561
00:30:17,601 --> 00:30:19,041
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was it. I just I.

562
00:30:18,921 --> 00:30:22,321
Speaker 6: Didn't want to give my my boy a bad childhood.

563
00:30:22,361 --> 00:30:26,801
Speaker 6: And I had to go back to work, but I

564
00:30:26,801 --> 00:30:27,641
Speaker 6: couldn't get a job.

565
00:30:28,081 --> 00:30:31,801
Speaker 1: So corrections was the only ones who would take.

566
00:30:31,681 --> 00:30:38,921
Speaker 2: Me corrections, So I take anyone. Let's not get into that.

567
00:30:39,041 --> 00:30:41,041
Speaker 3: I mean a lot of them don't even speak English,

568
00:30:41,081 --> 00:30:43,361
Speaker 3: So how hard could it be?

569
00:30:43,801 --> 00:30:46,081
Speaker 1: Not hard at all. If a mom who's been out

570
00:30:46,121 --> 00:30:49,280
Speaker 1: of work for five years can get it, yes you can.

571
00:30:51,481 --> 00:30:55,441
Speaker 6: It's so true after applying for jobs for nine months,

572
00:30:55,601 --> 00:30:58,481
Speaker 6: anyone can get that job. And just let me stay

573
00:30:58,521 --> 00:30:59,521
Speaker 6: working with them.

574
00:30:59,721 --> 00:31:01,121
Speaker 1: Anyone can get that job.

575
00:31:01,961 --> 00:31:04,441
Speaker 2: Which when you say corrections, what state are we talking about.

576
00:31:04,441 --> 00:31:05,761
Speaker 2: Are you're still in Melbourne.

577
00:31:05,441 --> 00:31:07,161
Speaker 3: Or did you come back to Sydney, New South Wales?

578
00:31:07,561 --> 00:31:09,440
Speaker 3: So you worked in the New South Wales system.

579
00:31:09,801 --> 00:31:10,081
Speaker 1: I did.

580
00:31:10,121 --> 00:31:12,681
Speaker 6: I worked at Long Bay and I worked at the

581
00:31:12,761 --> 00:31:15,720
Speaker 6: Downy Center District Court. But I also worked at a

582
00:31:15,721 --> 00:31:20,921
Speaker 6: few courts like Liverpool, Campbelltown, Burward, Paramatta. I mostly did

583
00:31:20,921 --> 00:31:26,041
Speaker 6: the courts, but yeah, Long Bay was my only prison

584
00:31:26,201 --> 00:31:26,721
Speaker 6: that I did.

585
00:31:28,321 --> 00:31:30,881
Speaker 3: We'll get into that in a minute, because obviously I've

586
00:31:30,921 --> 00:31:32,520
Speaker 3: spent a lot of time at Long Bay and I

587
00:31:32,561 --> 00:31:35,081
Speaker 3: know all about the different sections of that jail, so

588
00:31:35,121 --> 00:31:39,881
Speaker 3: I'm very familiar with Possibly, I'm assuming it was in

589
00:31:39,921 --> 00:31:41,081
Speaker 3: the special purpose unit.

590
00:31:43,161 --> 00:31:43,761
Speaker 1: No it wasn't.

591
00:31:44,921 --> 00:31:48,121
Speaker 2: No, it wasn't, so Wing ten Wing wasn't.

592
00:31:49,161 --> 00:31:56,441
Speaker 1: Oh no, no, no special purpose unit is that's that's

593
00:31:56,481 --> 00:31:57,241
Speaker 1: a different one.

594
00:31:57,321 --> 00:32:00,321
Speaker 6: No. No, I was working in what we call Area one,

595
00:32:00,561 --> 00:32:06,361
Speaker 6: which is like the maximum, and I worked in Area two,

596
00:32:06,441 --> 00:32:09,641
Speaker 6: which is more like medium, and then Area three, which

597
00:32:09,681 --> 00:32:14,761
Speaker 6: is minimum. So I moved around when I worked there.

598
00:32:14,801 --> 00:32:17,121
Speaker 3: So you okay, So you were basically just for those

599
00:32:17,161 --> 00:32:19,440
Speaker 3: that didn't know the bay. You're probably and correct me

600
00:32:19,481 --> 00:32:23,161
Speaker 3: for wrong. You're in around about eleven, twelve, thirteen wing doing.

601
00:32:22,921 --> 00:32:25,761
Speaker 2: The remand nine eight seven.

602
00:32:25,601 --> 00:32:29,561
Speaker 3: Nine and seven, well seven were always reception and transit, and.

603
00:32:29,601 --> 00:32:31,081
Speaker 1: You know we're going we're going back.

604
00:32:31,161 --> 00:32:35,041
Speaker 6: My brains, my brain's boggling where VOTP was.

605
00:32:35,081 --> 00:32:38,200
Speaker 1: If anyone knows what that is, that's that's where I was.

606
00:32:39,321 --> 00:32:42,361
Speaker 2: Okay. So you're looking after the bakery.

607
00:32:41,961 --> 00:32:45,401
Speaker 1: Boys, Yes, bakery boys.

608
00:32:45,721 --> 00:32:48,281
Speaker 2: Yes, that changed, didn't it?

609
00:32:48,401 --> 00:32:48,961
Speaker 1: Not the best?

610
00:32:49,761 --> 00:32:51,161
Speaker 2: Not the best? Not the best?

611
00:32:51,521 --> 00:32:55,001
Speaker 6: I think since I think since you've been in and things,

612
00:32:55,161 --> 00:32:56,881
Speaker 6: the areas may have changed a lot.

613
00:32:57,081 --> 00:33:00,001
Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, because you had the ri C, well you

614
00:33:00,001 --> 00:33:01,841
Speaker 3: originally had the SIP. I was at the SIP when

615
00:33:01,841 --> 00:33:03,361
Speaker 3: I was eighteen, so that just goes to show how

616
00:33:03,401 --> 00:33:04,200
Speaker 3: long ago I was there.

617
00:33:04,241 --> 00:33:07,041
Speaker 6: Yeah, a lot of a lot of things would have

618
00:33:07,161 --> 00:33:09,121
Speaker 6: changed since then, for sure.

619
00:33:09,681 --> 00:33:15,201
Speaker 3: So you went through the corrections process, you were obviously

620
00:33:15,281 --> 00:33:17,441
Speaker 3: accepted as a correctional officer.

621
00:33:19,041 --> 00:33:20,081
Speaker 1: I don't know how.

622
00:33:20,961 --> 00:33:27,641
Speaker 3: Well yeah, well, I mean, look at the end of

623
00:33:27,641 --> 00:33:29,401
Speaker 3: the day, it was God's will and that's how you

624
00:33:29,521 --> 00:33:32,720
Speaker 3: ended up there. And look, in all honesty, I mean,

625
00:33:32,761 --> 00:33:34,161
Speaker 3: if you look at it from a point of view

626
00:33:34,241 --> 00:33:36,681
Speaker 3: of a redemption story, there's the start of your redemption.

627
00:33:36,961 --> 00:33:38,841
Speaker 2: You know, like no one can take that away from you.

628
00:33:38,921 --> 00:33:44,401
Speaker 3: And you know, I'm look, not all crims are bad,

629
00:33:44,521 --> 00:33:46,200
Speaker 3: not all screws are bad, and I'm not going to

630
00:33:46,281 --> 00:33:49,121
Speaker 3: sit here and go on about that, but you know,

631
00:33:49,201 --> 00:33:51,681
Speaker 3: you're a mum, You're out there, you're trying to do

632
00:33:51,721 --> 00:33:53,881
Speaker 3: your best, and at the time, this was the best

633
00:33:53,881 --> 00:33:56,201
Speaker 3: possible opportunity for you to have a future and.

634
00:33:56,161 --> 00:33:57,161
Speaker 2: To set yourself up.

635
00:33:57,841 --> 00:34:04,161
Speaker 3: Yeah, you start to work in and around criminals, people

636
00:34:04,161 --> 00:34:08,961
Speaker 3: incarcerat him. Let's talk about that, because that right there,

637
00:34:09,241 --> 00:34:12,921
Speaker 3: for somebody who's never really seen that style of.

638
00:34:12,841 --> 00:34:16,321
Speaker 2: Living and that way of life, yeah, it must have

639
00:34:16,361 --> 00:34:22,761
Speaker 2: been quite overwhelming. Intimatly. Like I said, I'm not I'm

640
00:34:22,801 --> 00:34:23,321
Speaker 2: not being.

641
00:34:23,161 --> 00:34:26,001
Speaker 3: Crude or disrespectful, but you would have probably stood out

642
00:34:26,041 --> 00:34:26,561
Speaker 3: a lot more.

643
00:34:27,081 --> 00:34:29,681
Speaker 2: Yeah, because of you know, your your your.

644
00:34:29,601 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 3: Attractive looks as a screw, your people would have been

645
00:34:32,681 --> 00:34:36,201
Speaker 3: very wanting to chitchat to you. They would have been hey, miss, hey,

646
00:34:36,241 --> 00:34:38,881
Speaker 3: miss you know like, I mean, that's.

647
00:34:38,521 --> 00:34:44,001
Speaker 2: Hard, seem worse. I've seen worse. Trust me.

648
00:34:45,881 --> 00:34:47,921
Speaker 6: Everyone always says that, like or did you get hit

649
00:34:47,961 --> 00:34:50,121
Speaker 6: on by all the inmates and all this stuff? But

650
00:34:51,041 --> 00:34:55,121
Speaker 6: it wasn't really the inmates that were, you know, the

651
00:34:55,121 --> 00:34:57,561
Speaker 6: ones to worry about. It was, honestly the officers that

652
00:34:57,721 --> 00:35:02,001
Speaker 6: were doing all the like hitting on me and just

653
00:35:02,081 --> 00:35:05,721
Speaker 6: being sex pest. I hardly had any issu shoes with

654
00:35:05,961 --> 00:35:08,801
Speaker 6: inmates doing that. Like there's been times where you know,

655
00:35:08,841 --> 00:35:10,681
Speaker 6: they've been like, oh, I'd love to take you out,

656
00:35:10,681 --> 00:35:14,681
Speaker 6: I get not guilty, or you know, a freaking misgive

657
00:35:14,761 --> 00:35:19,001
Speaker 6: me a blowd refliction like that, But that's like a

658
00:35:19,041 --> 00:35:20,241
Speaker 6: handful of times.

659
00:35:20,441 --> 00:35:23,440
Speaker 1: But it was the officers who, honestly, I.

660
00:35:23,401 --> 00:35:25,961
Speaker 3: Want to know more about this, I'll really do, and

661
00:35:26,721 --> 00:35:29,001
Speaker 3: let's talk about it, because no one's ever ever been

662
00:35:29,041 --> 00:35:31,521
Speaker 3: on here in one hundred and fifty seven episodes and

663
00:35:31,721 --> 00:35:35,041
Speaker 3: being able to and we've had some interesting guests from

664
00:35:35,041 --> 00:35:38,041
Speaker 3: all walks of life. Let me tell you in positions

665
00:35:38,041 --> 00:35:42,121
Speaker 3: of authority. I've had one gentleman on who was a

666
00:35:42,161 --> 00:35:44,841
Speaker 3: part of the dog squad and basically like the MEU

667
00:35:45,161 --> 00:35:49,401
Speaker 3: the squad sort of thing, you know, and magic I think, now,

668
00:35:49,441 --> 00:35:52,481
Speaker 3: who's yeah, So you know, I got to sort of

669
00:35:52,521 --> 00:35:54,401
Speaker 3: give our guests an insight, but we've never had a

670
00:35:54,441 --> 00:35:57,921
Speaker 3: real deep insight from a female and what it was

671
00:35:58,041 --> 00:36:01,121
Speaker 3: like for you working obviously with other correctional offices. Let's

672
00:36:01,441 --> 00:36:04,521
Speaker 3: let's let's talk about that, because that's I've got very

673
00:36:05,561 --> 00:36:08,401
Speaker 3: Let's go. The table's yours, mate, and this is your story,

674
00:36:08,481 --> 00:36:09,881
Speaker 3: so it's a part of your journey.

675
00:36:10,161 --> 00:36:16,121
Speaker 1: No, it's it's honestly, I say this all the time.

676
00:36:16,201 --> 00:36:16,841
Speaker 1: And like you.

677
00:36:16,801 --> 00:36:22,081
Speaker 6: Said, there is some good officers, but working with them

678
00:36:22,201 --> 00:36:25,481
Speaker 6: and seeing how they actually are and knowing their personal

679
00:36:25,521 --> 00:36:30,121
Speaker 6: life and working with these people every single day, it's

680
00:36:30,521 --> 00:36:33,041
Speaker 6: it's not the inmates you got to worry about, because

681
00:36:33,281 --> 00:36:35,561
Speaker 6: at the end of the day, you know, if they

682
00:36:35,561 --> 00:36:37,721
Speaker 6: don't like you, like, they'll tell you straight up.

683
00:36:38,281 --> 00:36:40,481
Speaker 1: But with officers, it's different.

684
00:36:40,641 --> 00:36:46,121
Speaker 6: It's fake. People are honestly out to get you. The

685
00:36:46,201 --> 00:36:52,161
Speaker 6: sexual harassment is insane for officers. On officers, it's disgusting,

686
00:36:52,241 --> 00:36:55,841
Speaker 6: it's they're they're like they're cd their sex pest. I've

687
00:36:55,881 --> 00:37:02,161
Speaker 6: been in positions where I've been punished professionally for not

688
00:37:02,321 --> 00:37:05,521
Speaker 6: taking a liking to, you know, a senior office or

689
00:37:05,561 --> 00:37:06,481
Speaker 6: something like that.

690
00:37:06,961 --> 00:37:10,961
Speaker 3: And reprimanded officially reprimanded by your work colleague who's a

691
00:37:11,001 --> 00:37:15,321
Speaker 3: senior officer for you not allowing him to.

692
00:37:16,161 --> 00:37:18,081
Speaker 1: I can actually tell you what happened, so.

693
00:37:18,041 --> 00:37:19,881
Speaker 2: Please do it absolutely.

694
00:37:20,521 --> 00:37:23,281
Speaker 6: I found out through a lot of officers that he

695
00:37:23,361 --> 00:37:26,201
Speaker 6: was saying, really discussing things about me in the toilets.

696
00:37:26,201 --> 00:37:26,801
Speaker 1: And I was a.

697
00:37:26,761 --> 00:37:30,321
Speaker 6: Casual, so I was a new officer, and he was

698
00:37:30,401 --> 00:37:34,001
Speaker 6: known to like whenever new young because there's always the

699
00:37:34,081 --> 00:37:36,161
Speaker 6: young girls that are coming in now and they're very,

700
00:37:36,281 --> 00:37:40,440
Speaker 6: very vulnerable, and the seniors or any male officers really

701
00:37:40,481 --> 00:37:44,201
Speaker 6: are taking advantage of that and using their power to

702
00:37:44,761 --> 00:37:49,721
Speaker 6: basically you flirt with them, and if you're not, if

703
00:37:49,721 --> 00:37:52,000
Speaker 6: you're not giving in, like, they make your life help.

704
00:37:52,081 --> 00:37:55,561
Speaker 6: So I ended up getting told from a few other

705
00:37:55,601 --> 00:37:58,201
Speaker 6: officers too, because he tried to take me under his

706
00:37:58,201 --> 00:38:00,921
Speaker 6: wing when I first started, and everyone was like, you know,

707
00:38:01,081 --> 00:38:03,841
Speaker 6: don't go near him. You know, he's known for this

708
00:38:04,121 --> 00:38:06,241
Speaker 6: and it's not a good look. So I started to

709
00:38:06,241 --> 00:38:09,121
Speaker 6: stay away from him, and he didn't like that, and

710
00:38:09,281 --> 00:38:12,801
Speaker 6: there was he was punishing me a lot through work,

711
00:38:12,961 --> 00:38:15,241
Speaker 6: just little things. But then there was one thing he

712
00:38:15,281 --> 00:38:17,841
Speaker 6: did where there was a use of force.

713
00:38:18,721 --> 00:38:23,001
Speaker 2: And when use of force upon you, no.

714
00:38:22,841 --> 00:38:24,481
Speaker 1: No no no no no no. So there was a use

715
00:38:24,521 --> 00:38:25,201
Speaker 1: of force.

716
00:38:25,001 --> 00:38:28,481
Speaker 2: With an inmates, right, okay, so restrainingmate.

717
00:38:28,761 --> 00:38:28,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

718
00:38:29,041 --> 00:38:32,161
Speaker 6: Yeah, So when that happens, you've got strip search the

719
00:38:32,241 --> 00:38:35,921
Speaker 6: master and it has to be recorded obviously, so.

720
00:38:35,881 --> 00:38:37,161
Speaker 2: We're taking oh yes, it does.

721
00:38:37,401 --> 00:38:38,881
Speaker 1: Yes, So.

722
00:38:40,521 --> 00:38:44,281
Speaker 6: What he did, there was so many male officers around,

723
00:38:45,081 --> 00:38:47,721
Speaker 6: and he basically got the camera and he and he's

724
00:38:47,721 --> 00:38:50,321
Speaker 6: a senior, and he handed it to me and he goes,

725
00:38:50,361 --> 00:38:53,521
Speaker 6: you're going to film this, and I'm like, okay, I

726
00:38:53,561 --> 00:38:57,201
Speaker 6: didn't realize what was going on. So I'm following, you know,

727
00:38:57,281 --> 00:39:02,001
Speaker 6: the frog marching him to the cell and I'm following him,

728
00:39:02,201 --> 00:39:05,241
Speaker 6: and then they start doing the strip search and I'm

729
00:39:05,241 --> 00:39:07,241
Speaker 6: holding the camera here and I'm like, wait, I can't

730
00:39:07,281 --> 00:39:07,761
Speaker 6: strip it.

731
00:39:07,841 --> 00:39:09,681
Speaker 1: I mean I can't watch a male strip, sir. So

732
00:39:09,801 --> 00:39:12,641
Speaker 1: that's illegal, Like you're not allowed, that's correct.

733
00:39:13,121 --> 00:39:17,521
Speaker 6: And that's also really triggering for me too, And and

734
00:39:17,721 --> 00:39:20,361
Speaker 6: like he's he's there, he knows I'm filming it. And

735
00:39:20,441 --> 00:39:22,521
Speaker 6: like I said, there was so many male offices he

736
00:39:22,561 --> 00:39:25,561
Speaker 6: could have asked, but he asked me, and one of

737
00:39:25,641 --> 00:39:27,521
Speaker 6: the male officers came tap me on the shoulder and

738
00:39:27,521 --> 00:39:28,761
Speaker 6: he's like, you can't film this.

739
00:39:28,841 --> 00:39:30,681
Speaker 1: He's like, just turn the camera off. So I turned

740
00:39:30,721 --> 00:39:31,041
Speaker 1: it off.

741
00:39:31,721 --> 00:39:36,401
Speaker 6: And then he found out that happens, and I pulled

742
00:39:36,481 --> 00:39:39,521
Speaker 6: him up for basically some of the stuff that he

743
00:39:39,601 --> 00:39:42,721
Speaker 6: was doing to me like that was like I went

744
00:39:42,761 --> 00:39:45,480
Speaker 6: into the office and I was just like, you.

745
00:39:45,361 --> 00:39:47,081
Speaker 1: Know, you're punishing me this and that, and then he.

746
00:39:47,041 --> 00:39:50,481
Speaker 6: Wanted to do a performance review on me for turning

747
00:39:50,481 --> 00:39:53,601
Speaker 6: the camera off, because you're not supposed to do that,

748
00:39:53,641 --> 00:39:57,321
Speaker 6: like you obviously everything needs to be recorded correct And

749
00:39:57,361 --> 00:39:59,361
Speaker 6: I was like, but I'm I'm a female. I'm not

750
00:39:59,401 --> 00:40:02,121
Speaker 6: supposed to be watching that, and he was. I knew

751
00:40:02,121 --> 00:40:05,921
Speaker 6: he couldn't do anything, but it was the intimidation, so

752
00:40:06,201 --> 00:40:08,681
Speaker 6: and there was many, many things, and it ended up

753
00:40:08,921 --> 00:40:12,561
Speaker 6: like he assaulted another officer who I was actually dating

754
00:40:12,561 --> 00:40:15,121
Speaker 6: at the time, and.

755
00:40:16,521 --> 00:40:17,801
Speaker 1: It just got swept under the rug.

756
00:40:18,121 --> 00:40:21,401
Speaker 6: They just moved us and basically didn't want to deal

757
00:40:21,441 --> 00:40:25,281
Speaker 6: with the case. I had people from the investigations branch

758
00:40:25,481 --> 00:40:27,641
Speaker 6: email me and say, you're not the only one to

759
00:40:27,681 --> 00:40:30,241
Speaker 6: complain about him, but I've been taken off your case

760
00:40:30,281 --> 00:40:33,721
Speaker 6: and I can't do anything about it. And there was

761
00:40:34,161 --> 00:40:36,921
Speaker 6: just multiple things like that. Just everything gets swept under

762
00:40:36,961 --> 00:40:39,761
Speaker 6: the rug in that job and people don't realize how

763
00:40:39,881 --> 00:40:41,521
Speaker 6: much they cover up.

764
00:40:43,041 --> 00:40:45,161
Speaker 3: I'm going to thank you for being so open and

765
00:40:45,241 --> 00:40:47,721
Speaker 3: vulnerable at the moment about this, and I know it's

766
00:40:47,721 --> 00:40:50,201
Speaker 3: going to ruffle ruffle some feathers, and I frankly don't

767
00:40:50,241 --> 00:40:52,081
Speaker 3: give a fuck because I'm going to tell you why.

768
00:40:52,721 --> 00:40:57,561
Speaker 3: The ship that we go through is inmates. And look, okay,

769
00:40:57,601 --> 00:40:59,361
Speaker 3: the Karen's out there are going to go home, yes,

770
00:40:59,401 --> 00:41:00,601
Speaker 3: but you put yourself in jail.

771
00:41:00,681 --> 00:41:03,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, Well, so what you're in jail.

772
00:41:03,081 --> 00:41:05,521
Speaker 3: You're doing your time. Does that mean you need to

773
00:41:05,521 --> 00:41:07,841
Speaker 3: be crucified whilst you're in jail? Does that mean you

774
00:41:07,841 --> 00:41:10,561
Speaker 3: need to be treated like an animal whilst you're in jail?

775
00:41:10,961 --> 00:41:14,521
Speaker 3: The abuse that you endure whilst you're in jail, the

776
00:41:15,801 --> 00:41:19,001
Speaker 3: levels that they take things to in excess that are

777
00:41:19,081 --> 00:41:20,601
Speaker 3: over and beyond what.

778
00:41:20,601 --> 00:41:24,521
Speaker 2: Needs to happen is beyond.

779
00:41:24,601 --> 00:41:28,721
Speaker 3: And we as the inmates at that stage, get told

780
00:41:28,721 --> 00:41:30,681
Speaker 3: to put in a bluey and at the end of

781
00:41:30,721 --> 00:41:33,121
Speaker 3: the day, you're not going to tell on anyone because

782
00:41:33,121 --> 00:41:36,041
Speaker 3: you're not a dog. So therefore, if you were to

783
00:41:36,041 --> 00:41:38,081
Speaker 3: write a statement against a cram or whether you write

784
00:41:38,081 --> 00:41:40,681
Speaker 3: a statement against a screw, either way, you're a dog.

785
00:41:40,881 --> 00:41:45,641
Speaker 3: It's as simple as that. So we live with it. Yeah,

786
00:41:45,681 --> 00:41:50,041
Speaker 3: it becomes something that is so common and so regular.

787
00:41:51,001 --> 00:41:54,801
Speaker 3: You are somebody whom I want to thank again because

788
00:41:55,081 --> 00:41:58,241
Speaker 3: this is the voice that will and needs to be heard.

789
00:41:59,441 --> 00:42:01,561
Speaker 3: And I'm proud of you for having the confidence and

790
00:42:01,601 --> 00:42:05,001
Speaker 3: the strength to not be fearful to have this conversation

791
00:42:05,241 --> 00:42:07,241
Speaker 3: because I know a lot of people wouldn't.

792
00:42:07,521 --> 00:42:11,001
Speaker 6: No, I already know the organization that I'm speaking out against,

793
00:42:11,041 --> 00:42:14,681
Speaker 6: but I don't care because it's just the same as

794
00:42:14,721 --> 00:42:17,041
Speaker 6: what I do. Like, I'm not going to protect anyone

795
00:42:17,201 --> 00:42:19,641
Speaker 6: and I'm not going to be silent about some of

796
00:42:19,681 --> 00:42:21,401
Speaker 6: the disgusting stuff that goes.

797
00:42:21,201 --> 00:42:24,161
Speaker 3: On in there. That concludes part one of Brent's chat

798
00:42:24,201 --> 00:42:25,041
Speaker 3: with Mel Watson.

799
00:42:25,561 --> 00:42:27,721
Speaker 2: In part two, we hear more about the horror she.

800
00:42:27,721 --> 00:42:30,601
Speaker 3: Witnessed as a prison officer in one of Australia's most

801
00:42:30,601 --> 00:42:31,601
Speaker 3: notorious prisons.

802
00:42:31,641 --> 00:42:34,921
Speaker 5: For the record, don't try and make you uncomfortable for

803
00:42:35,081 --> 00:42:36,841
Speaker 5: the record. You ain't try and world to any stuff

804
00:42:36,841 --> 00:42:40,041
Speaker 5: for your for the record lab or me going all

805
00:42:40,121 --> 00:42:43,041
Speaker 5: the way for the record. Ain't trying to link, No

806
00:42:43,161 --> 00:42:48,721
Speaker 5: trying to waste stuff for the reged for the record,

807
00:42:48,081 --> 00:42:54,561
Speaker 5: for the record, for the regond, for the reged, for

808
00:42:54,761 --> 00:42:55,201
Speaker 5: the regged