A "very, very young" woman from Pakistan who experienced "horrendous" family violence is one of up to 100 Tasmanian migrant women accessing a new specialist service.
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Her story was discussed in the evidence of Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service senior lawyer Taya Ketelaar-Jones at the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The Commission heard from six witnesses on Day 2 of proceedings, including disability advocate Catherine Dunn, the mother of a child with intellectual disabiity "Clarisse" and First Nations woman "Etana".
Ms Ketelaar-Jones spoke about the migrant specialist service that has been running for a year, funded by a Tasmanian Community Fund grant, for which she is "currently exploring ongoing funding options".
She discussed family violence provisions in migration law which allow someone on a partner visa to be granted a permanent partner visa when a relationship breaks down and family violence can be proved.
She also outlined unique challenges being experienced by migrant women on visas, who are suffering from family violence who also may have a disability such as blindess, or a psycho-social disability such as post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression.
Ms Ketelaar-Jones described discriminatory circumstances for women in proving family violence, where assessors do not believe they have disclosed appopriate fear for their safety or wellbeing.
"The majority have commented on reliability of the applicant. Have commented on - well, have asserted that the applicant has essentially falsified evidence in their claims in an attempt to stay in Australia," she said.
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Ms Ketelaar-Jones said there are also cultural and language barriers, as well as problematic physical access to services.
She said many women will continue to remain in violent partnerships on partner visas due to the threat of deportation and the power held over the women by their sponsor partners.
"It's present in every single one of my cases. It's a huge, huge barrier...Generally speaking, the client will believe completely that the sponsor has the power to cancel their visa."
On Day 2 of the Royal Commission in Hobart, evidence was also heard of distressing examples of sexual assault against women with disability.
This included hearing from Clarisse, the mother of a child with an intellectual disability, who spoke about the times her daughter was sexually assaulted, first by a bus driver and then by an institutional carer.
She said her experiences with police, in both cases of assault, were vastly different, where in the second instance her daughter was interviewed without a support person, and no offer of legal assistance as given.
"She came home this day like a wounded lion. Screaming. She got off the bus and was screaming more worse than I had ever seen her," Clarisse said.
"This person had - she - had touched her vagina and her bottom and then she just became mute."
The Commission also heard from disability advocate Catherine Dunn, who is hearing impaired, who spoke about two sexual assaults against her on different occasions, and a lack of services available to assist her wellbeing.
"I felt like i was just talking to a wall when I went to access services. I also didn't have an interpreter there so I was forced to speak. And the wellbeing officer that I spoke with had no understanding of my cultural history, of being a deaf woman," she said.
"It really wasn't worth pursuing."
The Royal Commission continues on Wednesday.
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