AUSTRALIA • LUKE BATTY - 11 yo - / Murderer killed at scene by police: Father, Greg Batty - Victoria, Australia

Father who killed son, Luke Batty, at cricket ground had history of mental illness, says boy's anguished mother

Updated Fri 14 Feb 2014, 1:34am AEDT


Video: Police were warned before Luke Batty's death that he may have been in danger. (7.30)
Photo: Luke Batty with his mother Rosie (Supplied)
Related Story: Small town in shock after father kills 11yo son on cricket oval
Related Story: Man shot by police after 11yo son dies from head injuries on sports oval
[url=http://maps.google.com/?q=-38.2632,145.1878%28Tyabb 3913%29&z=5]Map: Tyabb 3913[/url]


The mother of an 11-year-old boy killed by his father at a cricket ground in Victoria has spoken of her shock, and revealed her estranged partner had a history of mental illness and was the subject of an apprehended violence order (AVO).

Luke Batty was killed in front of horrified onlookers after a cricket training session at the oval in the small town of Tyabb, south-east of Melbourne, on Wednesday evening.

His 54-year-old father Greg was shot by police at the scene and died in hospital early on Thursday morning.

Luke's mother Rosie Batty was at the cricket ground when the tragedy unfolded, after her son asked for "a few more minutes" with his father.

This afternoon she described her "shock" and "disbelief" and told reporters her estranged partner Greg was a man who loved his son but had suffered from an undiagnosed mental illness for two decades.

"Luke was nearly as tall as me. He was sensitive. He enjoyed his footy, he enjoyed his cricket," she said.

Luke was nearly as tall as me. He was effervescent, he was funny. He wasn't the best scholar but he was intelligent.
Rosie Batty

"He was effervescent, he was funny. He wasn't the best scholar but he was intelligent. He enjoyed his school."

She says Luke loved his father and "felt pain" because he knew he was struggling.

"He was a little boy in a growing body that felt pain and sadness and fear for his mum, and he always believed he would be safe with his dad," she said.

"[I told him] 'you'll always love your dad. You won't always like what they do or say, but you'll always love your dad, and he'll always love you'."

Father had long history of mental illness
Ms Batty says she had known Greg for 20 years, and over that time his mental health deteriorated.

"[He went] from someone who brushed off losing a job to someone that was unemployable," she said.

"He was in a homelessness situation for many years. His life was failing. Everything was becoming worse in his life and Luke was the only bright light in his life."

Video: Watch: Rosie Batty talks about her son Luke's murder (ABC News)



She says Greg had been offered help, but he failed to accept it, instead choosing to "believe he was OK".

She had an AVO against Greg, but says he loved Luke and there were no signs he would ever hurt their son.

"You're dealing with someone who's always had problems, and they start out small and over the years they get bigger, but he's still the father," she said.

"He loved his son. Everyone that's involved with children would know that whatever action they take is not because they don't love them.

No-one loved Luke more than Greg, his father. No-one loved Luke more than me. We both loved him.
Rosie Batty

"No-one loved Luke more than Greg, his father. No-one loved Luke more than me. We both loved him."

She says people thought she was the one at risk, and some had urged her to return to her home country.

"Doctors, psychologists, everyone said to me, why don't you go back to England and live there? But Luke wanted to be here," she said.

"His school was here, his friends were here. And I had decided that was the right choice."
'Family violence happens to everybody'
Gallery: Tyabb cricket ground tragedy


Ms Batty says if there is a silver lining to be found in the tragedy, it will be increased awareness about the issue of family violence.
"I want to tell people that family violence happens to [anybody], no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are," she said.

"When you're involved with family violence, friends, family judge you, the woman. The decisions you should make, the decisions you don't make.

I want to tell people that family violence happens to [anybody], no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are.
Rosie Batty

"You're the victim, but you become the person that people condemn.

"The people here reading this will say 'why didn't she protect him, why didn't she make certain decisions'.

"But when you actually finally decide enough is enough, and decide to go through a court process, you do not know what the outcome will be.

'What I want people to take from this is that it isn't simple. People judge you, people tell you what you should do. You do the best you can."

She says she does not regret allowing Greg to have a relationship with his son despite the problems, as her "guiding star" was ensuring Luke knew he was loved by both of his parents.

Mother first thought it was an accident
Ms Batty says her son died after what was "just a normal cricket practice".

"Most of the kids and parents had gone. Luke came to me and said, 'could I have a few more minutes with my dad' because he doesn't see him very often and I said, 'sure, OK'," she said.

"There was no reason to be concerned. I thought it was in an open environment."

She says when she realised something was wrong, she thought an accident had happened and tried to call an ambulance.
"I tried to ring but couldn't ring because I was too stressed. I looked for help and I ran towards help, screaming 'get an ambulance, this is really bad'," she said.

Video: Principal says school devastated by 'tragic loss' (ABC News)



"I thought Greg had accidentally hurt him from a bowling accident ... and that Greg's anguish was because he had hurt Luke accidentally.

"I was screaming, I was inconsolable."

Paramedics called to the sports ground on Frankston-Flinders Road treated the boy but were unable to revive him.

Police are refusing to give more details of the incident, but some witnesses say a cricket bat was used.

Ms Batty says it was only later that she realised that what happened to Luke was not an accident.

"What I saw that I thought was Greg comforting Luke and helping him with what I thought was an accident, wasn't necessarily what I saw," she said.

"The full extent of what happened I don't want anyone, other than the [coroner], to know.

"Luke was killed by his father. No-one else including myself needs to know the details of what he actually did."

'Police acted the way they needed to act'
Homicide detectives have spoken to several children who saw Luke die and then watched as police then shot his father.

Officers say they shot the man in the chest after he threatened them with a knife. Police say they tried to subdue him with capsicum spray but that did not work.

Greg, from Chelsea Heights, was flown to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, where he died about 1:30am.

Video: Tyabb locals react to news of Luke Batty's death (ABC News)



Ms Batty says police did not do anything wrong.

"The police acted the way they needed to act. In the past Greg has been confrontational and difficult," she said.
"The police had no other option."

She says Greg had not violated terms of the AVO by attending the event.

"It was allowed from the intervention order. It was a public place, I believed he was safe," she said.

"It was just a little cricket practice. There was people there, I believed he was safe."

Ms Batty says she is grateful for the support of loved ones, and will soon be joined by family who are travelling to Australia from England.

Hundreds of people attended a candle-lit vigil on Thursday night at the sports ground where Luke died.

And the Australian cricket team wore black armbands in its Test match against South Africa as a sign of respect for Luke.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-13/mother-in-shock-after-son-killed-by-father-at-cricket-oval/5258252

Rosie Batty blasts TV host Joe Hildebrand over family violence


Date April 2, 2014 - 3:50PM


Click to play video
Rosie Batty blasts Joe Hildebrand on live TV

Mother of Luke Batty, who was murdered by his father, slams morning television host over his support for controversial proposed laws that would punish mothers for failing to report child abuse. (Courtesy Channel 10)

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Update: Rosie Batty has spoken, following a fiery exchange with a morning television host, about her passion to continue to fight against family violence in the wake of her son Luke's murder.

Ms Batty said she was glad that her confrontation with Studio 10 host and Daily Telegraph journalist Joe Hildebrand had attracted attention and got people talking.

"It has to be a good debate," she said.

Hitting out: Rosie Batty. Photo: Channel Ten


Ms Batty has led an extraordinary push to challenge family violence since her son's death at the hands of his father Greg Anderson at a cricket field in Tyabb in February.

She became incensed moments before appearing on Studio 10 when she heard the panellists discussing new Victorian child abuse reporting laws that critics fear could punish victims of violence.

Ms Batty said during a live cross that people failed to understand the fear that consumed family violence victims that might prevent them from reporting child abuse or leaving their abusive partners.


Rosie Batty: "Outraged" by TV host Joe Hildebrand's comments on family violence. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones


"And you know what happened to me? Greg had finally lost control of me and to make me suffer and the final act of control, which was the most hideous form of violence, was to kill my son so don't you ever think that if we don't report it's because we don't want to. It's because we are so scared about what might happen," she said to Hildebrand.

"You have no idea."

Hildebrand, while expressing sympathy for women in an abusive relationship, had said there was no excuse for not reporting child abuse.

Studio 10 co-host Joe Hildebrand.

He said family violence victims needed to be empowered to leave their partners and they "absolutely had to get out", but that women who stayed had no excuse for not reporting abuse against their children.

"Frankly to say that you're going to not report a case of child abuse or child sex abuse by your partner because you are scared for your own safety, I'm sorry it's not an excuse," he said.

Ms Batty then appeared on the show and said she felt "outraged".

She told the panel that she had hoped her son's tragic death would raise awareness about family violence.

"This is beyond my comprehension that again the woman who's the victim is punished," she said during a live cross.
"And Joe your comments are so, so misguided.

"If you minimise how it feels to feel unsafe, and when we're talking about unsafe, we're talking about the risks to our lives. We're talking about when women finally decide to leave their partners, they are at the most risk."

Hildebrand remained quiet as Ms Batty spoke.

"Joe needs to look at his views as a man and he needs to step up and get informed. Because when I hear comments like that I am so saddened that the focus is still on the woman. Where the hell is the perpetrator? Why isn't he being jailed for three years?"

Ms Batty later told Fairfax Media that she knew Hildebrand's comments had not been personally directed towards her but that she felt compelled to challenge them because they represented commonly held views of both men and women in the community.

She said she had not known much about the new laws before she heard the show's panel discussing them and was riled by what Hildebrand had said.

The new Victorian laws are designed to ensure that child sex abuse never goes unreported. The morning show's discussion was prompted by a recent Age article that reported the fears of family violence support groups that victims of abuse too scared to report what was happening to their children might be punished.

Hildebrand's three female co-hosts had disagreed with him, including Jessica Rowe who told him he was being a "bit harsh" and that women in violent situations should be supported not punished.

Hildebrand has since released a statement and said that his comments have been misrepresented and misunderstood.

He said he did not believe that family violence victims should be jailed if they did not disclose child abuse and that he did not believe they would be under the new laws.

"My comments were in no way directed to or about Rosie Batty, who was scheduled to appear on the show for a separate segment about a fundraiser for her late son Luke," he said.

"I am certainly very sorry for any distress they caused her."

Hildebrand said his point was that the safety of children had to come first above other considerations.

"If a child is being sexually abused then I strongly feel it is the responsibility of all those who are aware of it to report it," he said.
"I also said that to allow a child to be continually exposed to sexual abuse is, frankly, inexcusable. I stand by this completely."

Anti-family violence organisation White Ribbon issued a statement just before 1pm, that called on media commentators to be well informed and sensitive when speaking with victims of violence "so what they are saying does not come across as 'victim blaming'".

The organisation's chief executive officer Libby Davies said women needed to be encouraged to report violence and leave abusive partners.

"But only when we have enough services to support this across the community, as well as helping to prevent the violence from happening in the first place, will women be truly free to live in safety," she said.

The Federation of Community Legal Centres, Domestic Violence Victoria, the Women's Legal Service and the Domestic Violence Resource Centre have all raised concerns at the new laws, which carry a maximum three-year jail sentence.

The laws exempt people who reasonably fear for their safety, but victim support groups said family violence sufferers were often not believed.

Ms Batty has been contacted for comment.

Following the passionate exchange, Channel 10 posted a message on Twitter thanking Ms Batty for her grace and passion.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rosie-batty-blasts-tv-host-joe-hildebrand-over-family-violence-20140402-35xq7.html#ixzz2xhugXU6u

We don't have a "resolved other" for international cases so, I'm moving this here.