I am writing to inform you about an injustice which has long been ignored.

More than 2 million adult Australians are currently living with the long-term impacts of child abuse and neglect. Children who have been abused grow up, but unfortunately the issue doesn’t dissipate with age.

Society finds such trauma too difficult to comprehend; so it is often ignored.

As a result, many survivors feel a misplaced sense of shame about their abuse, and suffer in silence, feeling isolated and marginalized. As an example of how this issue impacts on our community - within the mental health area, 76% of women and 72% of men with severe mental illness have been abused.

On Friday 13th November 2009 join ASCA (Adults Surviving Child Abuse) in support of its inaugural Forget-me-knot Day. This is a day for all Australians to unite in support of the more than 2 million adult survivors of child abuse in Australia and show their support by ordering a ‘forget me knot’ tangled ribbon from ASCA.

By signing this petition I join thousands of Australians in asking you to make Forget-me-Knot day a day of national significance; to help and support adult survivors throw off the shame and stigma of their childhood abuse and begin to heal. We would like to see more support for adult survivors to help create a healthier, happier Australian community.

Our future is in your hands; and together we can change the way abuse is dealt with in Australia.

Signed: