One mother’s fight to end military suicides | ABC News Daily podcast

ABC listen podcasts radio news music and more hi just a warning before we begin this episode we will be discussing [Music] suicide David finny was a sailor in the Australian Navy he served for two decades and at the height of his career even received a bravery Commendation but in 2019 he took his own life he'd been medically discharged from the Navy against his will before his death ever since his mother Julianne has been fighting to hold to account a Defense Force she says could and should have done so much more to save his life now after 3 years a royal commission into the suicides of thousand thousands of servicemen and women has handed down its report which in part delivers a scathing assessment of Defense leadership today we speak to Julianne finny about her son's death and her Hope for Change I'm Sam Holly on gigle land in Sydney this is ABC News [Music] Daily Julianne you're at Parliament House in CRA at the moment waiting for the Royal commission findings to be handed down so you can have a really good look at those just tell me how are you feeling right now absolutely look life changes every minute for me right at this moment I'm feeling really good I've passed the Commissioners in the hallways of the press Gallery here in Parliament House and I just feel that they've been traumatized through what they've heard I know it's been trauma for me and staff and all the people that have given testimony I know that people want this fixed nobody wants to see another suicide one of course you were instrumental in bringing about this Royal Commission in the first place through your advocacy after your son David took his life in 2019 David finny was a poster boy for the Australian Defense Force receiving a brave recommendation and even appearing in a recruitment ad over his two decade career they pay my rent I've got free medical free dental I've traveled so far with the Navy I can't even count the countries anymore but the reality of life in the force was far less glossy Mr you've spoken about how of course you didn't want to bury him back then and you begged him to wake up just remind me of those feelings there was trauma you know having a policeman knock on your door and knowing knowing really understanding that you are about to live your worst nightmare that is losing a child [Applause] the last time I saw him they had him ready for me was his birthday and I showed him his birthday present cuz I already had it and um and I I wanted him to wake up and I I know it sounds really but I wanted him to wake up I wanted him to warm up I wanted to give him his present um and I didn't want anyone to take me away from him but I knew they were going to you know like I I knew they were going to take me away they were going to make me leave him there I left him and um and the next day I say I but we his family his friends we buried him and and even that day I as he was going down you want those feelings my God I knew that nobody nobody was going to let me open that up and Hal him one last time that just wasn't going to happen and and know all the begging in the world does not get you what you want to happen which of course is your child to live um and to outli you just remind me what was happening with David in the lead up to his death because of course he' experience great trauma in the Australian Navy part of his trauma related to dealing with refugees on board a ship didn't it certainly um dead children dead parents um and uh and that sort of thing so it was yeah it was constant so in in the leadup David wrote A Blog about how this coming year uh 2019 was going to be all about him and he was going to get better David went from Yep this is going to be my year to um when I ask him um how he how he was uh he said I'm going to see a doctor and he wanted me to leave it at that he did make that doctor's appointment I don't know what happened I will never know what happened at that doctor's appointment due to privacy so he made that doctor's appointment he wanted me to believe that you know he was he was going to be all right and then the police knocked on my [Music] door the Royal commission into defense and Veteran suicide is now in session please be seated thank you Commissioners I call our first witness for today Julian finy who two grueling hours Julianne finy gave evidence detailing how her son suffered without meaningful support through his mental health struggles some caused by traumatic scenarios at work he was medically discharged while in hospital following a suicide attempt well you sat through of course Julianne every public session of the royal commission a huge time commitment what stood out for you most during the testimony you heard you spoke about the trauma of that of hearing some of the other Witnesses so I sat there and I you know I I I almost took myself out of myself to listen to their story to pay it the respect that it deserved um mothers losing their children fathers losing their children Partners alone and not looked after and and and children losing their parents and oh my gosh it was just it was some days it was too much but there was also anger there too at some people in defense give their testimony like everything is okay when the former Chief of Navy when he was giving his um testimony I had my phone on my lap watching a Navy funeral of someone who had taken their life while serving and the timing was just it was awful the Navy the chief of Navy was saying everything's good now and I was watching a funeral of someone who had passed away just I think 6 days prior and keeping in touch with his family warning them that that they needed a lawyer straight away because nobody was going to look after them nobody was going to look after them the independent Senator Jackie lambi of course has been pushing for change for about a decade since her first speech to the parliament it is time to fix this issue the Department of Veterans Affairs despite the best efforts of individual public servants over time has become dysfunctional and worse than that is dangerous and she says she will never give up while she is at Parliament House in Cambra defend has been really disappointing they've still played the old game of cover up nothing to see here it is them that needs to change I will be on their tail for as long as I'm up here I can assure you but seriously I want to see these recommendations implemented as soon as possible that's over the next 2 years let's get this job done once and for all I'm really hoping that tasmanians vote for her at the next election we need her veterans need her if not for her people think that I um instigated the roal commission no I joined a fight but if not for Jackie in Parliament it would never have gone through there has been some concern Julian that not all the documents the Royal commission had asked for from defense were actually handed over in the end that's would be concerning I think for someone like you it's been a big cover up I don't even trust anyone anymore because I have been gaslighted I have been um lied to and I don't I I told you just previous L I can't even find out what happened to my own son at the doctor the day before he died because people don't want to pass over information L they get the blame I don't think there's any place for blame anymore we're never going to get Justice I think the families understand that some still want it I don't think that's going to happen but surely we can have accountability and surely we can save lives going [Music] forward thank you Mr Speaker uh I present the royal commission into defense and Veteran suicide final report volumes 1 through 7 three years of harrowing stories of loss and injury have come to an end for thousands of current and former members of the Australian Defense Force the Commissioners want a new support body established to help defense personel transition to civilian life it's also recommended a formal inquiry into the prevalence of sexual violence in the Defense Force and a new National register of suicides among current and former Personnel the 122 recommendations from this Royal commission have been tabled in the parliament of course I think it was pretty clear that there was consensus that change is needed and it's needed now the government will thoroughly consider every recommendation we want to work across the parliament on those issues and do what we can to ensure that just as our veterans and defense Personnel step up for our country we have an obligation to step up for them there is something wrong Mr Speaker when a person is more likely to to die when once they've finished their service and get back onto civvy Street than they are actually in the service so Julian now we have the recommendations they have to be implemented and you're really concerned about who will actually do that they must be independent we cannot have jobs for the boys anymore I do not want to see any ex really high ranking defense person um as as that independent commissioner that's what I'm calling I don't want to see any of the large esos um such as Legacy RSL Defense Force Welfare Association Soldier on I don't want to see any of them have any say in how the recommendations are implemented they fought so hard against the Royal commission they didn't want it they were scared they were going to lose funding they were scared that they would lose influence well you know what you deserve to lose influence and funding you did not save the lives of the people that needed to be saved so tell me Julianne how are you feeling about all of this now I'm so sure that your son David would be incredibly proud of everything that you've done no um I'd love to tell you about my son my son would never say oh I'm proud of you mom he would say to me Mom it's not about you that is honestly what he'd say so I keep going for him but for all his brothers and sisters that are still [Music] here if this episode has raised any issues for you there is support available the defense support line is on 1 1800 62836 and Open Arms is there 24 hours a day on 1 1800 011 046 this episode was produced by Sydney ped Cara Jensen McKinnon and Anna John audio production by Sam Dunn our supervising producer is David Cody I'm Sam hly thanks for listening