Why Donate?
The #LetHerSpeak / #LetUsSpeak campaign has no core funding and is reliant on donations and individual one-off grants to operate. Much of the work we have performed over the past three years has been entirely unpaid or performed in a pro-bono capacity. The campaign creator / manager role is an unsalaried position.
We do this work because we believe in it. And we believe in survivors.
And so far we have changed 4 laws in 3 jurisdictions while providing legal assistance to 17 individual survivors.
But to continue this work, we need your help.
To donate to the #LetHerSpeak / #LetUsSpeak campaign visit:
https://au.gofundme.com/f/let-
All donations are held in trust by our legal partner, Marque Lawyers.
In 2021, donations will be used to:
1. Continue to fight gag-laws in the Northern Territory.
In July 2020, the NT Government eased the sexual assault victim gag-laws, but the reforms only went half way. As a result, ‘Sandra’ whose case spearheaded the #LetHerSpeak NT Campaign, is still unable to reveal her real name and would face 6 months jail for doing so.
Her offender, Kevin Willcocks, was found guilty of raping Sandra in front of a group of men at a bucks party in 2017. He has now served his nine month prison sentence and has been released from jail, but continues to appeal the verdict.
The current state of the NT law means that ‘Sandra’ will remain gagged for as long as he continues to appeal – which could last years.
‘Sandra’ has been working on a documentary with Jerboa films but that documentary cannot see the light of day until ‘Sandra’ receives a court order or the law is changed. ‘Sandra’ should not have to wait another day to tell her story under her real name.
We will continue to provide legal support to Sandra while pushing to further reform the law.
DONATE HERE: https://au.gofundme.com/f/let-us-speak-australia
2. Fight alongside families to prevent the introduction of gag laws which would erase the legacies of deceased rape victims in Victoria.
In February 2020, the Victorian government introduced oppressive sexual assault victim gag-laws that prohibited living survivors from being named in media, in cases which resulted in a conviction.
Along with 12 brave Victorian survivors, we fought that law and had it overturned in November 2020. But the Victorian government is now considering a gag-law on the names of deceased rape victims. That gag would make it a crime for relatives, media, and others to name women like Jill Meagher and Aiia Maasarwe.
Families of murdered and deceased rape victims are furious. Not only could they face up to four months jail for naming their deceased loved ones on their own social media accounts, but the law would also prevent them from speaking out in media as a relative of a deceased sexual assault victim.
The campaign is currently working with multiple impacted families to support them. We are also engaged with ongoing government consultations occurring in 2021.
The issue is scheduled to be debated sometime before September 2021. Help us ensure that grieving families are not further traumatised by the law.
DONATE HERE: https://au.gofundme.com/f/let-us-speak-australia
3. Survivor voices project: support survivor stories.
Since the campaign first launched in 2018, it has become clear to the campaign creator and partners that more resources are needed to support survivors to understand their rights when working with media. The campaign is currently working to develop materials and resources to support survivors to tell their stories in ways which are safe, empowering and restorative to them.
Additional funds will be used to support the development of a book containing survivor stories.
DONATE HERE: https://au.gofundme.com/f/let-us-speak-australia