The huge hometown support the rapist received, the same community ostracising the victim + her family, and the lack of punishment for the perpratrators make this case truly despicable.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-21/balmoral-home-town-boys-rape-divides-football-farming-town/106145646
31 Comments
The more I have been working in the forensic system, the more I have realised that it is not designed for victims. Especially or DV & SA. The amount it is normalised, and the sheer amount of victim blaming makes my physically ill. Our justice system is actually so cruel.
I get that we need to have a system where people should be innocent until proven guilty, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of draining every ounce of humanity from the victims. The stories I wish I could tell…
It’s an awful read, disgusting behaviour
Stats I’ve heard about (lack of) prosecution of rape worldwide is astounding. Something over 90%. It’s terribly tragic.
It is such an awful story. What happened to her is awful. The way the rapists had community support was awful. I had to stop listening to the ABC podcast a few episode in, it made me feel sick.
But the way small community’s handle this stuff really needs examining. If you come from the right family, people close ranks and you can get away with anything. It reminded me of the Leigh Leigh case in Stockton.
The real reason no Epstien shit isn’t prosecuted – most people actually don’t give a shit. They laugh at rape if that’s means they are in the cool club.
Scum
Just about every small town has stories like this. Well liked shitheads of well liked shithead families getting away with just about anything, and if they ever face consequences then the victim’s life becomes hell while the town rallies around the perpetrator.
At least in large towns and cities the victim can distance themselves and form new networks but in towns like this often the only option is to leave or be a social pariah for the rest of their life.
Hectic story. What a shit town. Backing the boys. Bush nurse is a POS.
Luke Merryful convicted rapist.
Shaun Bloomfield convicted rapist.
A truly tragic situation and it’s good that this story is making the light of day.
Not just in Balmoral, but victims of rape and sexual violence in small communities are often pushed aside to maintain the integrity of social hierarchies.
I think now though this will haunt the Balmoral community until they face their demons…both figuratively and literally.
Nothing about this is a surprise but it’s still shocking.
Really powerful article brought tears to my eyes. My heart breaks for her -this shit is way too common
My wife and I have been desperate to get out of the rat race of the city, and Balmoral was one of the towns we had been eyeing up. I guess that one’s off the list…
This was an absolutely horrifying read. What a shit town, and disgusting people.
19 months, after everything is said and done, is a joke of a sentence.
And Lisa Hutchins? Shameful.
Happened in Ireland years ago. 130 people turned up to support a rapist during his court case. Fucking disgusting
Fuck that was uncomfortable to read, the reality of living in a small town.
Great reporting and great that the full names of these disgusting scumbags are out there for all to see. They should stay in their nasty little town or be shunned everywhere they go.
And the bush nurse should be charged with perjury.
Luke Merryfull.
Shaun Bloomfield.
Lisa Hutchins.
What a fucked up town. I hope no one moves there
I live in a smallish rural town, and the ingrained misogyny (even the young women who self-hate) is pervasive. Women are only good to do ALL of the admin and menial work.
In a recent study, over 80% of council grants and community funding went to male dominated clubs. Women are trashed if they speak up.
I’ve joined six clubs since moving here and call the blatant unfairness out constantly. If you do it with humor then you get to trash the guys who start with ‘whataboutisms’. I tell them they are too emotional and can’t take a joke.
It’s fucked how even many of the ‘good people’ you know still automatically assume that a woman had it coming, did something to provoke it, made it all up.
I listened to this on Casefile and I struggled to get through it, this was harder to listen to than all the graphic grizzly murders and serial killers, I cried and cried and still have such rage for her.
Balmoral is a poisonous town. Hope they all keep to their narrow little world and their narrow, sadistic ways and leave the rest of the world alone.
Anyone who supports a guilty rapist is filth.
Lisa Hutchins is absolute scum, what kind of nurse would do that? I hope at least the victim can take some solace in knowing that everyone outside of that scummy town can see them for the disgusting people they are. I hope the Merryfull family can be content in knowing their ‘reputation’ is protected now.
This is the reporting the country needs! What a shit stain of a club and town that thought they could get away with it, which they basically did until these reporters started ringing
Depressing read, great reporting, shit town.
Luke Merryfull, rapist and Shaun Bloomfield, rapist should both still be in jail.
Absolutely heartbreaking but unsurprising situation. No wonder people don’t report rape.
My friends and I travel to the area a lot. Good to know, won’t be visiting the rapist town of Balmoral on any of those trips.
That was so hard to read without crying, everyone in that town outside of her family let her down including her supposed friend and second mother.
I hope anyone that ever thinks about moving there reads this and thinks twice especially if they have young girls in their family.
Absolutely shit, low class, scumbag, backward, hicks – the entire town.
Balmoral (Victoria) – officially the worst place in the entire country.
If you ever meet someone from there give them a wide berth, they’ll never have your back. Unless they’re Elise’s family but if they’re smart they’ll never tell anyone that’s where they’re from. Why admit to that.
I hope Elise and her family have the peace, happiness and healing they deserve.
Credit to the victim Elise and the ABC for putting this together.
This is journalism.
At first I read this as Lisa Hutchins having some form of cognitive dissonance. Then reality of the situation drops. She intentionally discarded any professional objectivity or empathy because yeah the boys. Christ we still have a long way to go.
Quality journalism from the ABC. I feel so sad for this woman. And likewise for their communities. That these rapists are accepted is beyond me.
Only thing not covered in the article is what is every other AFL side they’re playing doing about it. If you’re matching up to a convicted rapist and you don’t give him a fucking hiding at every opportunity then the game is gone.