*** WARNING - this chapter and the following chapters cover issues relating to domestic violence. These themes will continue throughout the balance of the story. Please be careful when reading this material ***
Thursday, continued ...
[Anna is still typing her affidavit]
Lu Jinhu and I initially met at University, where I was completing a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws combined degree and living in the same university college. At the time I commenced university I was 16 years old. We dated on and off through university, but I believed Lu Jinhu was not committed to our relationship, so I refused it to become anything more than the occasionally date.
My undergraduate degree was awarded on [ALFRED check my degree on my office wall for the exact date], and I graduated with First Class Honours in Law, and Honours in Commerce. My results were such I was offered the opportunity to complete a Legal Research based master's degree, looking towards a doctoral degree. This was in addition to the multiple employment offers I received. I opted to take the position with my current employers and my legal representatives in this matter ANX Lawyers, undertaking work in a variety of fields including commercial law, criminal law and family law to name a few.
Upon finishing my undergraduate degree, I commenced my professional qualifications. This was formally awarded on [Note – ALFRED again check the certificate in my office for the date], I was admitted as Legal Practitioner on [Note – ALFRED check all the admission dates on the certificates].
Once I completed my professional qualifications, I commenced my employment with my employers. Lu Jinhu finished his undergraduate degree approximately four months later. We communicated while he was doing this, but had no firm plans about a relationship. Lu Jinhu literally turned up on my Melbourne doorstep after his graduation indicating he wanted a relationship with me. This was when our relationship commenced.
Given Lu Jinhu slept around at university, before we commenced a s*xual relationship I demanded which I believe he felt it demeaning, he undertook screening for s*xually transmitted diseases. The test results were negative. As a result, we commenced a s*xual relationship. My employment requires that I have an annual medical review, to determine if there is anything in our health that will impact on our ability to travel and meet client's needs. Such a review includes a s*xually transmitted diseases. My last medical review was 10 weeks prior to the swearing of this affidavit, and it did not detect any s*xually transmitted diseases.
Based on the material in the balance of this affidavit, and applying my professional skill and knowledge, I say that that Lu Jinhu engaged in psychological and economic abuse, as a means of inflicting domestic violence upon me. As at the time of swearing this affidavit I cannot recall any incidents of physical violence or any other forms of domestic violence.
During our relationship if Lu Jinhu did not like any of my long-term friends, he slowly poisoned my mind against them, do everything to eventually push them out of my life. A number of these friends commented to me that Lu Jinhu was lying to me; using me; and manipulating me. Due to my investment in our relationship I believed Lu Jinhu over my friends when he denied their claims of poisoning relationship through his actions. Over the long-term, which I did not realise at the time Lu Jinhu isolated me from friends he did not approve of. My friends had to be his friends and if they fell out of favour they were pushed from our lives. If I listed every example of his actions, I can recall I would have to add 30 or 40 pages to this affidavit to provide the court all the information.
One example comes from three years ago. A high school friend fell sick with cancer, and it was questionable if she would survive. As her treating hospital was near then home, I visited this friend four or five times per week. About three weeks after her admission, Lu Jinhu found out that I was visiting her and told me he was accompanying me on the visit. He knew I wanted to spend at least an hour with this friend, but within five minutes of arrival his complaining was enough that I told him to stop it. By the time another ten minutes passed, his sulking was such that I ended the visit with my friend. I apologised to my friend and told her I would see her soon.
However, Lu Jinhu spent the balance of that day and the next morning pressuring me not to visit her, claiming my visits were tiring her out. Lu Jinhu however made sure that he accompanied me on almost every visit and his actions on every visit were to constantly tell me that I should leave my friend alone to deal with her treatment, until I the visits became shorter and shorter.
At home, Lu Jinhu kept pressuring me about whether my visits were making a difference, and whether I should remain her friend. Eventually I drifted from this friend due to Lu Jinhu. At her funeral I received a letter handed to me personally by my friend's husband. She commented that Lu Jinhu caused me to become more distant from her. She commented in the letter that due to my refusal to accept anything she ultimately had to say, she had to eventually refuse to see me, because Lu Jinhu poisoned our relationship.
My friend survived that original cancer scare, but her cancer came back approximately twelve months ago, but she lost the battle five months ago. When I became aware of this second cancer fight I tried to make contact with her, and sort to visit her. My friend refused to have anything to do with me. It was only when I received the latter at her funeral that I gained any understanding as to what was happening. She detailed why she ended our friendship and detailed Lu Jihnu's actions towards her both in and out of my presence. I had not realised or accepted what he had done until I read this letter. [Note – ALFRED the original letter is in our deeds system in a packet in my name, should we attach it?].