Angela Barker

Angela Barker OAM is an Australian advocate for victims of domestic violence.

Assault and recovery  

On 7 March 2002, at 16 years old, Barker was assaulted by her 20-year-old boyfriend.^[1][2][3] They had been dating since Angela was 14, and he had previously assaulted her multiple times. His attacks culminated that day in 2002, after Barker refused to date him after they had previously broken up. He beat her, and Barker was found by a passerby. After the assault, Angela's family was told that she would remain in a vegetative state forever.^[2] After the attack, she spent 8 weeks in the hospital, five months in rehabilitative therapy, and three years in a rehabilitation hospital. She now uses a wheelchair, and was left with severe brain injury and without the ability to talk.^[2][4] After five years, she regained the ability to talk.^[5] Barker does not recall the 12 months before the attack, and her memory has only recovered to somewhere within thirteen and fifteen.^[3] Her former boyfriend later turned himself in, and was sentenced to serve a minimum of seven and a half years in prison.^[1]

Activism

As of 2011, Angela has shared her story with over 10,000 teens across Australia and internationally.