Ovens Murray professionals unite for powerful premiere of Unanswered Calls

More than 110 professionals from across the Ovens Murray region gathered this week for the local premiere of Unanswered Calls, a confronting and deeply moving documentary amplifying the voices of children and young people living with family violence. The event, supported by the Victorian government and hosted by the Ovens Murray Child and Family Services Alliance, Ovens Murray Family Violence Partnership, Ovens Murray Mental Health and Alcohol Drug Alliance, and Ovens Murray Homelessness Network, brought together practitioners and leaders who work every day to improve outcomes for children and families. The premiere featured insights from Unanswered Calls contributors, including: family violence advocate Rosie Batty AO; Commissioner for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Micaela Cronin; and Victoria’s Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People, Liana Buchanan. Kath Kerin, chair of Ovens Murray Child and Family Services Alliance and acting CEO of UMFC, said every child has the right to be safe, heard, and protected. "Unanswered Calls amplifies these rights and urges us all - individuals, organisations, and communities - to listen more deeply and advocate more strongly," he said. "The sector alliance’s message is clear: we must strengthen our shared responsibility for healing and recovery, and ensure the voices of children and young people are not only heard, but embedded and acted upon in everything we do.” Laura Shortis, executive representative Ovens Murray Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Alliance, and CEO of NESAY, described the gathering as both powerful and unifying. “The event was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when our region comes together with a shared purpose," she said. "The collective insight on display demonstrates how deeply committed we are to listening to young people and strengthening the systems that support them to improve their experience when they seek support.” For Jaime Chubb, chair of the Ovens Murray Family Violence Partnership and CEO of Wangaratta's Centre Against Violence, the film highlighted an urgent truth. “As we work to ensure that young people are seen and supported as victim survivors in their own right, we must continue to recognise that they face their own distinct challenges, experiences and long-lasting impacts of being part of a family where violence, control, fear and instability are a constant presence,” she said. Claire Anderson, chair of the Ovens Murray Homelessness Network and transitional services manager at NESAY, said the event's strong attendance was a clear demonstration of the "collective commitment to children and young people, and the value of collaboration in driving meaningful change.”

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