Help us end alarming levels of child sexual abuse.

Hello, I’m Hayley and a victim/survivor of child sexual abuse from a family member.

Incest (child sexual abuse by a family member) is an awkward topic, virtually taboo, but a vital one.

I have shared my experience of abuse by a close family member through the No Laughing Matter podcast series (www.nolaughingmatter.org.au). The Founder/Producer is my close friend Tanya Lee OAM. 

No Laughing Matter needs your help to ensure the very important podcast project of incest awareness can continue. Their intention is to radically reduce the alarming statistics of incest in Australia.

And here is why; research says 70-80 percent of all child sexual abuse in Australia is from a ‘family member’. That is a concerning number and needs serious attention. Senior Australian of the Year 2019, Dr Sue Packer AM says the incest figure could even be as high as 90 percent.

As you can imagine, sadly, sexual abuse in the family home would significantly increase during COVID lockdown times. This makes their call even more urgent.

Often ‘incest’ is rolled into the bigger picture of ‘child sexual abuse’. Eight years ago, a Royal Commission was established to investigate child sexual abuse in Australian institutions, yet there have been no major investigations into incest. Why?

I am now in my 40’s and as a mother of two young teenage children, I have always thought if I could help save one child, I was doing enough, but my voice alone just isn’t powerful or loud enough, hence my alignment with the No Laughing Matter podcast series. I believe, by joining forces with other key people that share the same passion to make positive change with child sexual assault within families, we really can make a difference.

In early May this year, No Laughing Matter launched, with the aim to raise awareness and help make change. This also includes a call for the government to provide and manage a 24-hour counselling service, tailored exclusively for incest victim/survivors (current and past), along with a plan for better education across all levels of schooling and a cultural change in attitudes towards this forbidden topic. They believe it is time for a proactive movement to help ensure a lessening of the alarming statistics of child sexual abuse by a family member.

Australian comedians, actors, media and sports personalities including Adam Hills, Richard Fidler, Fiona O'Loughlin, David Field, Jean Kittson, Susie Porter and Craig Foster among others, have chosen to step up and support the No Laughing Matter Podcast series by narrating the Australian real-life stories on the specific topic of incest.

The podcast series has been financially established through donated time from good friends and some small donations from other good friends and supporters. But it is not nearly enough for them to continue their cause. They have made huge progress, but their work so far is really just the tip of the iceberg.

I am asking you for your help to allow No Laughing Matter to keep up its incredible work to get urgent change and to help stamp out child sexual abuse by a family member.

Your (Tax Deductible) Donations will help fund:

• continued podcast production and development

• website management

• technology growth

• administration support

• round-table events with key crisis line outlet’s CEO’s and other child sexual abuse agencies

• implementation of a call to the government for change

• employing part-time staff to manage, implement and pay for a strategic national marketing plan to keep raising awareness of the issue of incest.

Please join their (well overdue) movement to help ensure no more Australian children become victims of sexual abuse by a family member.

About No Laughing Matter:

No Laughing Matter trades as The CorriLee Foundation (ABN 88 230 386 478).

The NLM team is a start-up initiative with almost no income. The team consists of two people working on the project part-time and asking a lot of favours of friends and contacts. But now they desperately require more funds to ensure the project can continue.

The CorriLee Foundation will manage all donations in a centralised fund and will be used for the sole purpose of a continued No Laughing Matter podcast series awareness campaign and call for government change.

How can you help?

• Donate via this GoFundMe page or the donation button on the www.nolaugingmatter.org.au website and click the Donate button. *NB.  Your tax-deductible donation receipt (via either platform) will be emailed separately, within two weeks.

• By pledging your support in another way - email [email redacted].au

• Share the NLM story and their GoFundMe link via your socials – Instagram @nolaughingmatterau  and Facebook @nolaughingmatterau 

If you are a victim/survivor of incest and would like to share your story, go to the No Laughing Matter website and select the ‘Contact’ page for consideration of potentially having a podcast about your experience. *NB. All stories abide by their lawyer's guidelines and require due diligence and discrete fact-checking.

For further information on how you can play your part in helping make change, or hear more about the No Laughing Matter Podcast Series Project please go to their website.

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING!