Content warning: links in this story include graphic footage of violence against a person in mental health crisis and discussion of deaths in custody and suicide.
Police brutality against Jodi Knott was a feature of the ABC Four Corners episode “Brutal Force” which aired on Monday 1 June.
We’re honoured that Sharee and Nichole, Jodi Knott’s cousins, who bravely shared their emotions during the episode, will be joining us for the special screening next Tuesday, 23 June at NSW Parliament House.
Sharee and Nichole have issued the following statement encouraging as many people as possible to attend the event to show their support for the change we so desperately need.
“Every family has a story that changes them forever. Ours is Jodi’s.
Jodi was a daughter, a cousin, a friend, and a bright, complex human being who deserved safety, dignity, and care. Instead, she became another Victim lost in a system that was meant to protect her. Her story is not an isolated tragedy. It is a mirror held up to the gaps, delays, and failures in mental health services across NSW.
We are inviting you to stand with us, not in grief, but in purpose.
This event is more than a gathering. It is a call for courage: from community, from service leaders, and from our elected representatives. We will be sharing Jodi’s story with honesty and heart, not to assign blame, but to illuminate the change that is urgently needed. Organisations like BEING – Mental Health Consumers have shown what is possible when lived experience, compassion, and accountability come together. Now we need that same commitment from every level of government.
Your presence matters. Your voice matters. Your willingness to listen, to learn, and to act could help prevent another family from walking the path we have walked.
We ask you – the public, policymakers, and Parliament – to join us.
Show up for Jodi.
Show up for every person who has been failed by the system.
Show up for the future we can build together.
Because mental health reform in NSW cannot wait any longer.”
Event details
Date: Tuesday, 23 Jun
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Venue: Theatrette, NSW Parliament, 6 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW
PS. If you have already registered, please share this message with your family, friends and networks.