Why this petition could change MAFS forever

Headlines: Concerts and footy matches cancelled as Alfred heads towards land, Zelensky says he’s ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership, Teenager arrested over Sydney mosque threat, and we have an update on stranded astronauts.

Deep Dive: Should an act of aggression as blatant as punching a wall be enough to end Married At First Sight?  

The country’s biggest reality TV show recently aired an incident where a participant punched a wall during an argument with their partner. It appears the matter has been reported to police, and the show has also been reported to SafeWork NSW as a result. 

Since it’s airing, individuals and groups have been calling for Nine, and the production company behind MAFS, to act. A petition set up by What Were You Wearing Australia, a major domestic, sexual and family violence victim-survivor group, is calling for MAFS to take more responsibility on how the incident was portrayed, to rethink how they display healthy and unhealthy relationships, and to take the moment as an opportunity to educate those watching as to what domestic violence can look like. But should the show continue at all? 

On this episode of The Briefing, founder of WYWWA and a leading survivor-advocate for domestic and sexual violence Sarah Williams joins Helen Smith on The Briefing to unpack the moment, and what we should learn from it. 

Listen to our recent ep, Confessions of an ex-MAFS producer here. 

You can find WYWWA’s petition here 

1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit our website 

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