2024 Recipient: Mel Jane
Mel Jane is a quiet gladiator who strategically fights against sexual violence and those who commit this type of crime. As a survivor of multiple childhood violations, she’a able to look at this crime through a unique lens that helps her in her current work at a correctional facility where she comes in contact with sexual predators. In instances where others would walk away, she stands tall to identify gaps and work with local Australian agencies to fill them. Her most recent initiative is to create and implement a Child Sex Offender Registry in her home of Australia. When complete, she will be helping to save millions of people from known predators.
Mel Jane is a 2024 GOTU Crucial Point Award Recipient for her work in transformative education on the Australian justice system and the understanding of sexual predators. Her activism work is influencing her advocacy effort to make positive strides in better protecting victimized persons.
During a Q&A session, we had the opportunity to learn about Mel Jane, her amazing work and perceptions about survivorship.
How has sexual assault impacted you? How many years have you been a survivor?
I've been a survivor for 26 years and the first time I was abused was at the age of 4. It has influenced many decisions l've made throughout my life. The impact has affected my relationships and friendships to my daily life and even how I parent. It almost took my life at 18. In saying that, I’ve channeled my trauma into something meaningful by advocating for the survivor community and raising awareness around Child Sexual Abuse. I’m part of campaign's such as the as the introduction of a Child Sex Offender Registry in Australia. This has been the most healing part of my journey yet.
What does healing look like for you? And, what does justice look like for you? Are they both intertwined?
I think all survivors will agree that it is a lifelong journey. We are never completely healed because you can’t possibly fully recover from something that is so violating and traumatic. I choose to take it day by day. I know some days will be harder and on those days I’m more kind to myself, more patient and listen to what my body & mind needs from me. A lot of survivors struggle with self love and understanding their own value. I feel like working on this area makes the healing journey a little better and so I pour a lot of love into myself. Justice is not part of my healing journey unfortunately. For some, justice can really aid the healing journey as well. Justice to me is unrealistic in the world we live in as I don’t think any sex offender should be released back into the community.
What big thing have you learned about sexual assault survivorship?
That I carried a lot of shame and guilt that was never mine to carry. Once I came into the safe space of the survivor community, I realised every one of us has or still does carry these feelings. This was a huge awakening for me as I felt like I wasted so much time and made poor decisions based on feelings that didn’t belong to me. I also learned that running away or masking my trauma, only delayed my healing even more.
Why do you think rates of sexual violation continue to increase despite increased awareness?
I believe that until the justice system truly begins to enforce meaningful consequences and deliver proper justice, we won't see a decrease in sexual assault cases. There are currently no strong deterrents to prevent offenders from committing these crimes. Many offenders spend little to no time in prison and in Australia, there's no way for the public to know if someone is a sex offender. Society’s tendency to blame victims only perpetuates the problem, making it seem acceptable to some to commit these acts.
What do you have to say to survivors who want to come forward about being victimized?
Take your time and go at your own pace. You might encounter people who try to dismiss or invalidate what you've been through, but those aren’t the people you need in your life. It’s easy to meet other survivors and start doubting if your experience was bad enough but please don’t compare your story or your healing to anyone else’s. What happened to you was wrong and you deserve to be heard in a safe space. Your voice matters and speaking out can be incredibly empowering for your healing journey. You don’t have to carry this alone as there is a whole community of survivors ready to support you. I encourage you to reach out to the services available as they can help you figure out the best way to come forward that feels right for you.
What advice would you give to someone who may receive news about a friend or family member’s victimization?
Believe them. One of the most traumatic parts of going through this is how people react when you finally open up. Having someone who believes you, supports you and encourages you to seek help can make a huge difference in a survivor's healing journey. Validate their experience, make sure they feel heard and understood. Ask if they have support and offer to help them find resources or services if they don’t. If they’ve reported the assault or are thinking about it, offer to be there as a support person. Avoid asking questions that might make them feel blamed. If they’ve chosen not to report, don’t push them as that’s a decision only they can make. Just listen and show that you care.
Learn more about Mel Jane and her work via her Instagram @meljane.official