Eliza Paschke: 'I wish I didn't have this story to tell - but I'm finally ready to share it'

WARNING: This article contains details about sexual and physical assault which may be upsetting for some readers.

In 2019, I was sexually and physically assaulted.

Six years on, I've found myself ready to share the experience in the hope I can potentially help other victims and advocate for change.

I'm utilising my podcast Try Before You Die as the platform to have this conversation, as it's a space I've always felt safe to express myself.

Listen to the episode here:

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The ordeal itself was a traumatic one, with numerous questions relating to the crime remaining unanswered.

Furthermore, despite police being able to extract a DNA profile of my perpetrator, he has never been identified or apprehended. It's still a hard pill to swallow.

I carried a lot of guilt and embarrassment in the months that followed my assault, but consistent counselling enabled me to shift any shame I'd placed on myself.

Accessing government funded mental health services was extremely difficult in my time of need, and waitlists have grown dramatically since then, sadly.

Violence against women and children is an epidemic, with the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing 2.2 million females in Australia have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.

It's all well and good we have the 10-year National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children in place, but since the introduction of this in 2022, the issue has worsened.

A lot of the commentary I've read suggests the government is failing to match the scale of this national emergency.

Significantly more funding is required for frontline services and across response and recovery programs, which is where the critical work is done providing support to victim-survivors, like me.

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While I wish I didn't have this story to tell, perhaps a silver lining is that it will serve as a catalyst for additional conversations and much-needed solutions.

I also urge people to report these crimes. As difficult as that process is, we must hold these monsters to account and prevent them from hurting others.

If this has raised any issues for you, please contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), a 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling service.