Acts of cruelty

By KATH GANNAWAY
THE Royal Humane Society of Australasia has bowed to an avalanche of public opinion and revoked a bravery award presented to a man serving a jail sentence for a vicious assault on his partner.
Jeannie Blackburn and members of Change.org took a petition signed by 18,900 people to the Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday 19 June for presentation to the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.
Mr Doyle is vice-president of the RHSA, and, along with the society’s patron, Governor-General Quentin Bryce, had supported calls for the award presented to Paul McCuskey be revoked.
Ms Blackburn has hailed the RHSA’s change of heart as a just outcome which along with the support given to the petition recognises that domestic violence is no longer something that can be either tolerated or swept under the carpet.
McCuskey was a member of the Reefton CFA when he, and other members, put their lives at risk on Black Saturday to save an elderly woman who was trapped at Cambarville near Marysville.
He was jailed in April 2010 for a series of attacks on Ms Blackburn which the sentencing judge Wendy Wilmoth described as “serious crimes carried out in a brutal and cruel way”.
In one particularly savage attack, McCuskey kicked Ms Blackburn in the head leaving her bloodied on the floor and resulting in the loss of sight in one eye.
Other assaults took place while Ms Blackburn was pregnant, and the judge said McCuskey ignored her pleas to stop as he punched and kicked her in the stomach.
The assaults took place between November 2006 and June 2007, before McCuskey joined the Reefton brigade.
The petition was started in June through Change.org after a magazine story brought to light the fact that the RHSA had refused Ms Blackburn’s call for the award to be revoked.
The RHSA initially said they would not revoke the Certificate of Merit, saying bravery awards were given for actions where a person put their life at risk to save another and that probity was not an issue.
A spokesperson for the RHSA said no mention was made on McCuskey’s conviction on the nomination, nor when it was accepted on McCuskey’s behalf by a brigade member.
An Extraordinary General Meeting of the RHSA directors last week however unanimously voted to revoke the award.
A CFA spokesperson said as an organisation they were unaware of Mr McCuskey’s actions or the situation when he received the award.
“He had resigned and left Reefton before he was dealt with by the courts,” she said.
“The CFA believe it is an appropriate decision and is pleased the focus can now return to the rest of the (Reefton) crew who received the award for their action.
“They can now get the recognition they deserve and the controversy won’t overshadow their award.”
Ms Blackburn said she had never wished to take anything away from the other CFA members whose actions on Black Saturday were unquestionably brave.
Reefton CFA captain Danny Bennett said the brigade had no comment to make on the RHSA decision.
Women experiencing domestic violence should call the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria on 1800 015 188.