Someone who knows the pain of family violence all too well is Barbara O'Byrne.
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In 2015, a young child close to her was savagely beaten.
The perpetrator, who was known to her family, assaulted the child repeatedly.
The child's mother had gone out shopping that night, trusting that her children were in safe hands with the offender.
Instead, her young child's stomach was punched with such force that her bowel was ruptured.
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Ms O'Byrne said on the night of the incident, the mother had returned home to find her child lying unresponsive in her bed.
Her body was covered in bruises, and the outline of a shoe was imprinted on her face.
After being rushed to hospital, the child immediately underwent an operation where surgeons were tasked with putting her bowel back together.
She almost died on the operating table.
Ultimately, she was taken by ambulance to the Royal Hobart Hospital where she spent two-and-a-half weeks in an induced coma.
The perpetrator was jailed, but Ms O'Byrne said it was later discovered another child close to her had also been abused by them.
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"This perpetrator mentally manipulated the girls to the point where he warned them that they would not see their mum or family again if they ever told anyone about the abuse," she said.
After it was revealed a second child had been abused, the offender spent more time in prison.
While six years have passed, Ms O'Byrne said the trauma remained for both girls.
"It's had a bad mental effect on them, they're still receiving therapy to this day," she said.
Ms O'Byrne hoped that by sharing the girls' story, she could show the community that abuse has a long-term impact on victims and survivors.
"They experience a lot of misery, anxiety and low self-esteem," she said.
"It's not just the families that are affected either, but everyone involved, from the staff in hospitals to members of the police force."
She said while perpetrators could end up spending a few years in prison, it was nothing compared to the life sentence hanging over the heads of their victims.
"I think the justice system needs an overhaul."
Her plea to the public comes ahead of White Ribbon Day next month, and after an event was held in the North by the Launceston White Ribbon committee - which called on men to gather at UTAS Stadium on Saturday and take a public stand against family violence.
The men were photographed, alongside former Tasmanian cricketer George Bailey - who appeared via the big screen from Victoria.
Male students and teachers from various schools attended the event.
Riverside prefect, Brodie Waters, said the younger generation had a big role to play in increasing awareness around the issue.
"Educating the youth about this issue now means that in the future everyone will know violence against women is not okay," he said.
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