This is exactly why I could not understand the discussion about the Tim Winton novel and film ‘Breath’. It was never acknowledged that it was about child sexual abuse. 

If we expect people to understand without asking, its just going to cause a lot of confusion . Even those who grew up in a 'guess' family might understand  'I heard the washing machine finish' as:

Could this be a mental health issue? It doesn't sound normal.

If social media encourages people to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, it could be helpful. Often people with personality disorders have difficulty doing this. If it encourages someone to seek treatment, then it can only be of benefit.

Aussies normally love an underdog, someone who does things their own way. You can see it in our much loved films like the Castle and Muriel's wedding, our heroes like Ned Kelly. We should be celebrating this. Its not as if we don't have enough Olympic medals.

I was  touched by the Refugee Olympic team.  Cindy Ngamba the boxer from Cameroon, where her LGBT status would endanger her life, winning a medal was so special. Also the incredible female (and male) runners from Ethiopia and St Lucia. Plus I learnt that hijab-wearing Iranian women are leading the world in Taekwondo. The British team saving the life of the Uzbek boxing coach.  So many wonderful, surprising and sometimes funny moments. The world needs the Olympics.

Yes, so true. In the past 30 years, the mostly coalition governments have made housing a lot more expensive through tax policies that favour investors over owner-occupiers, and have tripled HECS. Yes, millennials will inherit, but not until they are in their 60s. That doesn’t help when people have young families and need the money the most.

This situation reminds many of us of every time we were given a dirty look for breastfeeding or having newborn baby vomit on our shirts,  every time we were excluded from a venue or event because we had a baby or child,  of being tut tutted for 'leaving work early' even though we'd been up caring for others since 5 am, of having our job re-assigned while on parental leave or pregnant, of being shamed for  having 'unruly kids' who might (heaven forbid) cry on a plane or drop food on the ground in a restaurant. 

@laura__palmer  I have seen quite a lot of sympathy for the mum. 

@Cait I couldn't agree more.  For the first year, a mum and baby are still a unit, its just an extension of pregnancy,. A bf mum can't 'just get a babysitter'. She needs to be available basically 24/7. 

Yes, I agree. 

This attacker was a young man with poorly managed schizophrenia having psychotic delusions. In 2015, a close friend of mine was randomly stabbed to death in the street by a young man with poorly managed psychotic episodes.

This is all well and good. BUT.  A woman who "On the balance of probabilities' was raped just had her life upended for 5 years. She was humiliated and impugned to be a liar in (parts of) the media, had her diaries and txts in court and the media, was dragged through the courts by her alleged rapist and former boss. 

It was an attack by someone with both serious schizophrenia (that much is known) and most likely other factors, such as a tendency to violence and/or current addiction. 

I couldn't agree more. I have no understanding of how or why the media seems to be interested in analysing every last aspect of this case except the most glaring - that this case shows an extreme level of victimisation through police and court processes and the media. It has probably set back the likelihood of sexual assault victims even attempting to let alone actually procuring justice by decades. 

I think this was clearly written by someone without kids :)

North and South. Even better than Pride and Prejudice.

Australia is now increasingly isolated as one of only a few developed nations where smacking kids is still legal. The evidence is clear of how this normalises physically violent reactions towards those we love. Then we wonder why we have such high rates of domestic violence…..

Does Anna have a gofundme or is there another way we can help? Living in a tent with 5 kids is ?!&##!!!

So true. The worst part of the sexist and abusive public commentary about women who accuse men of assault is that the victim blaming silences other women. It sends the message to abusers that they are justified and will not be punished. And the cycle continues…