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Barbara Biggs

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Barbara Biggs (born 3 December 1956) is an Australian journalist, social commentator, author and child protection campaigner.[1][2][3][4]

Published works

Biggs' first book (published by Sly Ink, 2003) was autobiographical, called In Moral Danger, about her life up to the age of 22. The book tells of her sexual abuse from the age of 14 by a well-known criminal barrister.[5] It explains the damaging after effects following her abuse, including time spent in a psychiatric hospital, escaping Cambodia weeks before it fell to the Khmer Rouge and being a prostitute in Japan. It also describes how she attempted suicide four times, received death threats and caused national headlines - all before the age of 22.

Biggs has been interviewed about her story written in In Moral Danger by some of Australia and Britain's leading journalists, interviewers and publications including Scotland on Sunday[6], BBC4's Woman's Hour's Jenni Murray[7], Australia's Robyn Williams [6], Phillip Adams [7] and George Negus [8].

In Moral Danger has since been released in the UK (2004)[9], New Zealand (2005)[10], where it became Number One on the best-seller list, and has been translated for publication in Sweden and Greece (2006) and Japan (2008).[citation needed] The book and its sequel is the subject of a feature film in production, funded by Film Victoria [11].

The sequel, The Road Home(Sly Ink, 2004), is about her life from 22-42, culminating in a legal battle with the barrister who abused her at 14, which she won. The barrister died three months after the judgement[12]. It also tells how she became a mother, classical pianist, journalist and property millionaire. Former Governor General of Australia Peter Hollingworth wrote a foreword to the book. Two years earlier he had made comments about child sexual abuse and mishandled certain complaints made to him during his career as an Anglican priest. After reading In Moral Danger he felt enlightened by Biggs. In his words, "I accepted Barbara's point that I did not understand the 'emotional mechanics' of child sexual abuse and the long-term destructive effect on a victim's later life." He added "Her story will be an inspiration to others facing similar circumstances. Victims will see that they are not alone and will be encouraged to speak out about their own emotional responses to abuse."[8][9]

Biggs' third book (Sly Ink, 2005), The Accidental Renovator: A Paris Story[10], is about her exploits in buying an apartment in Paris in 2003. A combination of travel book, gonzo-journalistic treatment of the seedier side of Paris life and 'gallery of characters' met whilst renovating the apartment in 2004.

Biggs' fourth book, Chat Room (Micklind Enterprises, 2006). It is about a 13-year-old girl who falls victim to a predator (posing as a child) in a teen chat room. Some of the inside information of this novel was provided by the Australian Federal Police and their files on offenders.[11] It was also released in New Zealand in October 2006 [13]

Sex and Money, (Micklind Enterprises, 2006), is Biggs' fifth book, and treats of her own lessons learned in the course of a bizarre and varied life.

Child Protection Campaigner

Since In Moral Danger was published, Biggs has become an advocate for social change and awareness about child sexual abuse.[12] She now speaks about her life and child sexual abuse to a range of welfare professionals and private groups. She also trains foster carers about how to recognize and deal with children who have been sexually abused.

Regarding abuse victims, Biggs writes and speaks about the much-misunderstood phenomenon of emotional attachment to the abuser. Biggs tells how she 'fell in love' with her abuser, suppressing her real feelings about the abuse to mould it into a 'love story'. She said this was the most damaging aspect of her abuse, the effects of which lingered for decades.[13][14]

In February 2009 Biggs, responding to parents ordered to send their children to contact visits with abusive exes by the Family Court, started the Safer Family Law Campaign [14].

With the help of an army of parents and state co-ordinators, she organized rallies in five Australian cities for Sunday May 3, 2009. In the week leading up to the rallies, a series of Youtube videos were posted showing actors telling parents and children's stories, journalists calling for a repeal of the gagging laws in the FLA and professionals telling how they routinely see in their work how the Family Court is failing to keep children safe from abusive parents. A barage of media coverage resulted in a U-turn by the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia Diana Bryant.

Two weeks before the rallies, on April 21, 2009 Bryant repeatedly referred to the campaign in a Queensland speechsaying the would-be protesters were 'shrill' and taking isolated child murder cases, sensationalizing and generalizing them.

Following the rallies, the Chief Justice said she had [http://www.smh.com.au/national/judge-calls-for-urgent-changes-to-family-law-20090501-aq6f.html written to Attorney-General Robert McClelland, asking him to give 'urgent consideration' to repealing sections of the Family Law Act. There had been 'strong' misunderstandings of the shared parenting laws which which had led to people 'rarely' reporting abuse to the Family Court. The Safer Family Law Campaign continues to fight for change to make family law in Australia safer for families at risk of child abuse and family violence, tackling this so-called 'misunderstanding'- actually arising from current law and practise - and many other elements of the Family Law Act and the culture in which it operates.

Political Candidacy

Biggs stood as an Upper House candidate for new political party, People Power, in the 2006 Victorian election[12][15]. Running for the Northern Metropolitan Region seat, she eventually lost to the Greens candidate Greg Barber.[16] This is not sourced: She also wrote the party's child protection policy. Because of the party's preference deals (negotiated by co-founders Stephen Mayne and Vern Hughes), she was the last candidate eliminated before the Greens candidate took the seat.

Identity forgery conviction

In 1977 Biggs was deported from Japan and on her return journey to Australia was intercepted at Tullamarine after authorities in Guam discovered she possessed two Australian Passports in different names; one in the name of Biggs, the other Robyn Frances Kelly.[15] Biggs, the central figure in a dispute which stopped Melbourne City's Trams earlier that year[16][17][18] appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on passport forgery charges. Biggs pleaded guilty to making a false statement when applying for an Australian Passport, forging an application for a passport and uttering an application knowing it to be false.[19]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Biggs, Barbara (2004-11-01). "There is nothing normal about child sex abuse". The Independent (London).
  2. ^ Biggs, Barbara (2006-11-13). "There's sex and there's love - but not always together". On Line Opinion (Australia).
  3. ^ Peterson-McKinnon, Nicole (2006-11-26). "Sex and money: both need discipline". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
  4. ^ Biggs, Barbara (2006-12-11). "Outing won't stop sex crimes". Herald Sun.
  5. ^ "Episode 22 Barbara Biggs Interview". Retrieved 2006-12-10.
  6. ^ Catherine Deveney (2004-10-03). "Against all odds". Scotland on Sunday.
  7. ^ "Barbara Biggs (interview)". BBC Woman's Hour. 2004-09-21. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  8. ^ Murphy, Damien (2004-05-04). "Public penance for a tormented priest". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
  9. ^ Hollingworth, Peter (2004-05-04). "A wiser man, after a victim's challenge". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
  10. ^ "The Accidental Renovator". Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  11. ^ "Experiences from a 'Chat Room'". Shine TV. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
  12. ^ a b Mansingh, Nitika (2006-11-24). "From child slave to author". The Age. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  13. ^ "Barbara Biggs (interview)". ABC Radio. 2006-07-16. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
  14. ^ Biggs, Barbara (2004-10-23). "Falling in love with the abuser compounds, not excuses, their crime". On Line Opinion (Australia).
  15. ^ Passport Charges: SM Fines Woman, The Age, October 11, 1978 [1]
  16. ^ Board may transfer conductress, The Age Sep 6, 1978 [2]
  17. ^ Ticketless, she will ride to the end of the line, The Age, Sep 5, 1978 [3]
  18. ^ Single Fare, The Age 1978 [4]
  19. ^ Passport Charges: SM Fines Woman, The Age, October 11, 1978 [5]

References

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