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Joe Hildebrand apologises to Rosie Batty

Video: “Rosie Batty has been incredibly gracious about this," says Studio 10's Joe Hildebrand.

Studio 10 this morning responded to yesterday’s furore in which Rosie Batty, the mother of Luke Batty, slammed the show for comments made by Joe Hildebrand.

Rosie Batty also appeared on the Today show this morning where she acknowledged that the incident had given further spotlight to the issues faced by victims, including misconceptions by both men and women.

Hildebrand today said, “Rosie Batty has been incredibly gracious about this. This is a subject that is intensely personal to her, and it was not one … that we intended to raise in her presence or involve her in at all, but of course when she did want to respond to it, we gave her every opportunity to.

“I have said and will happily say again that I’m terribly sorry to cause her any distress. Lord knows she’s suffered enough,” he said.

“It is the role of every adult who is aware of children being sexually abused to blow the whistle on it. It is their job to raise the alarm.

“In cases, which is sadly all too common, where the person who is in a position to do that is sadly also a victim of abuse themselves, that makes it enormously hard. I certainly know that. But that is not a reason to just say ‘we’ll just let it go on,’” Hildebrand said.

“That does not help the child victim, it does not help the abuse victim who is in the relationship. That’s an appalling state of affairs, it can’t be allowed to continue.”

“That is not blaming the victim at all -what we are saying- what I am saying is, to the victim: be a survivor, use whatever means you have to get out.”

http://www.gofundme.com/lukebattyfund

6 Responses

  1. So Hildebrand apologies by reinforcing his original message which demonises the very people who are being abused. That’s Murdoch-stooge thinking right there. Starting to think it’s Ten that should be apologising for all the mindless News Corp staff they keep putting on their shows.

  2. Another non-apology from 10.

    They did the same thing with the Cpl Roberts comments, said they were sorry but then a long rambling tirade to justify what they said.

    Either you are sorry or you are not, if you are sorry say just say sorry and not make excuses.

  3. I thought The Today Show did a brilliant job on the way they handled the story but ACA did the old network v network approach which I thought was disgusting. Studio TEN ever mean any harm.

  4. Bass_ A, i agree with you on watching Rosie. Her raw and primal grief and anger was more than palpable. It still amazes me the day her son was murdered she fronted the news crews and gave long and lucid answers. This is probably the time when the full reality of what she has been through and lost is sinking in. I only hope she has professional support and loved ones around her.

  5. I think whilst it’s great this debate is happening, it’s vital, and beyond everything else that women are not demonised and that there is not “implied” demonisation of women in these situations, having grown up in a similar environment of constant fear, bullying and intimidation, and yes sometimes violence, I recently asked my mum why she stayed so long, and the answer simply was my dad was the provider of the family and she didn’t know how to leave with 3 young kids, where would we go, what we’d do for money etc, so we all had to just out up and shut up – that’s the reality out there, avos and the like are just bits of paper and short of locking the perpetrator up for a long time there’s no easy answer, because the legal system is so broken and women generally end up second best despite everyone’s best intentions. Rosie’s discomfort was very hard for me to personally watch,…

  6. On radio shows (and essentially this show is radio with pictures) panel members discuss their opinions in advance. If everyone agrees someone elects to take the contrary view so everyone isn’t just sitting around agreeing with each other. I’m not suggesting that’s what happened or that Joe’s apology wasn’t warranted or indeed heart felt. Just noting that on tv and radio people often say things they don’t actually believe to try and make interesting television and people should remember that before being too hard on people working in a live environment.

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