Dear Yolanda,
I am writing to you with immense gratitude and admiration for your extraordinary courage in exposing the heinous crimes of Ashley Paul Griffith. What you did was nothing short of heroic.
You stood up when others failed to act, and you carried the burden of protecting those who could not protect themselves, despite the unimaginable cost to your own life.
Your bravery reminds me of another extraordinary woman from Australia’s history, Saint Mary MacKillop. Over 150 years ago, Mary MacKillop stood up against abuse within the Catholic Church.
Instead of being supported, Mary was excommunicated from the Church in 1871. She was accused of disobedience, stripped of her position, and left to endure public disgrace. It was not until months later that her excommunication was lifted, and only over a century later did the Church publicly acknowledge her righteousness and courage.
The world is better because of women like you who refuse to turn a blind eye to injustice.
We must talk about the immense contributions women make when we dare to speak out. And we must also talk about the price we pay for this courage. Like Mary MacKillop, they tried to unjustly punished for your integrity.
The legal system, the institutions that failed to act, and the Church that brought charges against you all betrayed the very principles they were meant to uphold.
The accusations and charges brought against you were unjust, and the scrutiny you endured was inexcusable. Yet you stood tall. Your resilience in the face of relentless opposition is an inspiration.
Your actions saved lives and exposed the failures of institutions that allowed an abuser like Griffith to operate for nearly 20 years.
Without your voice, countless more children would have undoubtedly suffered.
Your story highlights why we need to encourage women to speak up and never be silenced. Women like you, and like Mary MacKillop, remind us that change happens when we refuse to look the other way.
You proved that one person’s courage can make a difference, no matter how daunting the odds may seem.
Thank you for your strength, your resilience, and your heart. You are a hero in every sense of the word. You remind me of the importance of standing up for what is right, no matter the cost.
With admiration and gratitude,
Natalie