In support of White Ribbon Day on November 25, crime + investigation will premiere a deeply personal 30 minute documentary special The Nice House at 8.30pm EDT, about 2015 Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty.
Introduced by Ms Batty, The Nice House is Rosie’s moving true story: how the man she met and fell in love with would one day murder their only son – and how this tragic incident lead to her remarkable work as a domestic violence campaigner.
When 11-year-old Luke Batty finished a cricket training session on the evening of February 12, 2014 at the oval in the small town of Tyabb, south-east of Melbourne, he asked his Mum, Rosie, for “a few more minutes” to hit some balls with his Dad.
She agreed. A few minutes later, her son was dead. And less than 24 hours later, Rosie stood on her front lawn in front of the media and gave an astonishing interview.
Instead of hatred and recrimination, there was compassion and poise, reflection and a very clear message: “Family violence happens to everybody, no matter how nice your house is, how intelligent you are, it happens to anyone and everyone.”
Rosie says that her strength came from years of struggling and learning to live with family violence herself, during her relationship with Luke’s father, Greg Anderson.
Largely due to that speech on the lawn, in the weeks after Luke’s death Rosie was approached by the police and other groups to share her story and act as an advocate for family violence. Rosie said, “Luke was my purpose before, but I will have to find something else.”
Through Rosie’s accounts, The Nice House investigates the circumstances behind Luke’s and Greg’s deaths, including interviews with Luke’s cricket coach and Rosie’s close friend to offer insights into the events that lead to this devastating incident and its aftermath.
The Nice House is written, produced and directed by Louise Turley and is exclusive to crime & investigation.
White Ribbon Australia is Australia’s campaign to prevent men’s violence against women. White Ribbon Australia observes the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day, annually on November 25. http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/
The Luke Batty Foundation was established in February 2014 by Rosie Batty, with the goal to raise funds to support women and children affected by the trauma of family violence. http://lukebattyfoundation.com.au/
Tel: 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 is the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service for people living in Australia. https://www.1800respect.org.au/