#170 Speaking Up After Harm: Rebuilding Life, Truth & Justice with Lina Nguyen

What does it really mean to speak up—when doing so could cost you everything?

In this raw and powerful episode of Healing Through Love, Rose Davidson sits down with Lina Nguyen, a lawyer, mediator, and survivor of workplace sexual violence, who shares what it truly means to speak the truth, reclaim your voice, and rebuild your life after unthinkable harm.

Lina’s story is not just about survival—it’s about transformation. After being raped by a police officer at a work function, she chose to speak out. What followed was a brutal legal process, professional backlash, and the loss of her job. But through it all, Lina discovered a deeper strength, a clearer purpose, and a new path to justice—one grounded not in revenge, but in self-respect and healing.

In this conversation, Lina unpacks:

💜 What it means to speak your truth when no one wants to hear it
💜 How to define justice for yourself when the system fails you
💜 What rebuilding looks like—from identity to purpose, and everything in between

She offers not just her story, but a roadmap for anyone who has ever been silenced, blamed, or forced to start over. With grace and honesty, Lina shows how the worst chapters of your life can become the foundation for something meaningful, purposeful, and powerful.

This episode is a beacon for survivors, advocates, and allies alike. It’s about the quiet courage to begin again—and the fierce love required to hold yourself through it.

Are you ready to reclaim your voice—and your future?
Listen now. 

🔗 CONNECT WITH LINA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linanguyenpactum/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lina.withpurpose/?hl=en

Website: https://pactumdr.com.au/

♥ ♥

Chapters

• 2:09 Lina's lawyer brain helped her navigate the trauma
• 4:35 Lina advocates for knowing your legal rights as a vehicle for healing
• 9:07 Lina explained that criminal cases require evidence beyond reasonable doubt
• 11:00 When speaking with a lawyer, Lina notes the benefit of taking emotion out of the situation
• 14:18 Lina emphasizes that emotional and physical safety should be prioritized before pursuing legal options
• 20:46 Lina's final advice to listeners is to consider legal solutions as part of their healing journey

Transcript

Sharlene | 00:00
The Healing Through Love podcast with Sharlene Lynch and Rose Davidson. 

 Welcome to the Healing Through Love podcast. I'm Sharlene Lynch and together we are shining a light on hope, resilience and transformation in the journey to end domestic violence. Each week we bring you inspiring interviews with changemakers, survivors and advocates and experts who are making a difference in the lives of those affected by family and domestic violence. You're here because you're on a healing journey and it might be yourself or you might be supporting someone who is. This is your space for powerful stories, practical tools and heartfelt inspiration. Let's heal through love. I love it today. We've got a very special guest. Lina Nguyen is a lawyer. 
 Yeah. She's a mediator, a writer, and an award-winning podcast host who helps people move through conflict with clarity and care. She's a survivor of workplace sexual violence raped by a police officer at a work function and later cross-examined for four days while six months pregnant. After speaking up, she lost her job. She was at which, but then what was reclaimed is that her power, her voice, her purpose and the new vision for justice. Lina, I am so glad that you're here. Let's have a beautiful conversation. It's so great to have you here. Hi, Lina. 

 Lina | 01:33
Hi, Sharlene. Thank you so much. It truly is so special for me to share this moment with you and your audience. 

 Sharlene | 01:41
Thank you so much. Many of our listeners have had similar experiences or are supporting people who have. And without sort of diving into the deep details of everything, can you take us to how you transitioned from that space into where you are now? How did you get yourself out of this? How did you not wake up every day and not want to move forward? 

 Lina | 02:09
Being a lawyer, I think when I woke up the morning after the rape, I did go into lawyer mode. So my brain was able to protect me in this way. And I learned that after sexual violence, and experience that trauma in the moment, our brains are quite incredible and our bodies are quite incredible in how they protect us to help us survive. 
 So for me, naturally, looking back, my lawyer brain helped me to get through. And immediately I started thinking about, well, what do I do now? How do I report it? I have to report it. 
 Well, maybe I don't have to report it. But what happens if I don't? 
 So I was able to logically... Think through it. And over the next couple of years, what that meant is that I went through reporting the matter and having an investigative - Criminally by police against a police officer. 
 And then when I was told that they weren't, going to go to court. Caught criminally. And prosecute him. Bye. Looked at my options in suing both my former employer, the New South Wales Police Force, and the perpetrator. And I was able to heal through justice. Through the legal system. And I believe so much in healing through love. And as a lawyer, I truly believe Sharlene in healing through the justice system and our legal processes. If you know the right legal solution for you and you have the right legal support and the right team to support you. 

 Sharlene | 03:38
This is so powerful. And myself as a survivor and the company that I keep, you know, most of the women that work with us in the space of healing through love, both locally and globally, have got their own stories, either domestic or family violence. And, you know, one of the biggest challenges in our deep, beautiful conversations that we frequently have. Is pulling back the covers specifically on family violence where now you are revealing your Stripe and this is you know we've become ostracized we've become separated we know on every level it is that next level of challenge what can you help with our listeners today who are thinking you know it happened and i'm still walking around I’m sort of okay and they're not moving forward to pursue it, what advice can you give to them? 

 Lina | 04:35
Look, as a lawyer and someone who works within the legal system, and I talk to clients every day who are considering the law as a vehicle for healing and a process for healing. I am a very strong advocate in knowing your legal rights and knowing how the law can help support you. In either getting the justice that you might be seeking or maybe it's about getting compensation that you deserve. Maybe it's about you've lost your home or your job. 
 Like I did, I lost my job. Maybe it's about getting compensation and getting some money that you deserve. Or maybe... Once something's happened and someone's trying to silence you and force you to never to speak about it, That's a legal issue there. And so for me, part of my healing was about being able to speak about my story and not to be silenced. And throughout the civil case, so the case where I was suing the New South Wales Police, I was actually in the process of recording my podcast. And so I knew it was important to me that I wasn't going to be silenced by a contract, what's called a non-disclosure agreement, to force me into silence. 
 So... What I would be saying is for anyone walking around thinking, how do I heal? How do I survive and thrive and then turn the trauma into something that I can thrive upon and perhaps help others and others? Move on to a new chapter of my life. Is to consider whether there is potentially a legal issue there where a good lawyer who's in your corner, can help you identify those legal issues and perhaps solve your problem through a legal solution. 

 Sharlene | 06:20
This is so powerful. I've got to ask you, I've got to know, what do you think happened with the criminal case? Why do you think they weren't ready to willing to pursue it? 

 Lina | 06:33
The police investigated it. It was in their interest that not only was it a criminal matter, but it was an important to employees involved in it, to at least have the appearance of them having done everything they could. And I'm not trying to say that they cut corners necessarily or did a bad job. But there was certainly biases involved and it was certainly in their interest. That funeral charges were not laid. And that a criminal manner didn't pursue. 
 So I've spoken about this publicly in my podcast that the investigation is in itself was flawed. At the time. Now we're going back a few years and I understand the New South Wales Police Force has improved its sexual assault investigations, but there were some fundamental flaws in that investigation, including that the person be the detective who is investigating my crime. Wasn't experience in sexual assault. In fact, he'd just come out of the drugs and firearms squad He didn't understand the impact of trauma on memory. There was just a lot of issues there, including the fundamental mistakes of me being slut shamed and witnesses giving evidence and on paper, winning this state tour jury about how I was dressed and how I was, all that stuff, which I thought we had moved beyond that. 
 So there were a lot of, laws in that criminal investigation, that meant that it didn't really have the chance to see the light of day. 

 Sharlene | 08:06
No means no. Come on, guys. I would have thought that we've moved past this. 
 So I think that, you know, obviously this is a situation that happens broader outside of the police. But I feel like from an outsider looking in is that that's the place that you expect people to, you know, Want to mentor people that need help, want to be the hero, want to make a difference for others. 
 So I think for me, it's like, if it had been a normal workplace, I probably would go, meh, alcohol, these things, you know, but I feel that I'm more agitated about it because I'm expecting that the police are going to not rescue, but, you know, I'm going to be able to help. Protect us and that in that environment, you would just wouldn't expect those sorts of things to happen. But wow. Okay. 
 So then with your criminal case, how did you get the outcome you're looking for from the criminal case? 

 Lina | 09:07
Again, my lawyer brain knew that it was a very high bar to reach. So in a criminal manner, the evidence has to reach a standard of beyond reasonable doubt, which is the highest legal standard you can get. In any type of case, in a legal case. And a higher than in the civil standard when you're suing someone or when you're going to family court for example. 
 So my lawyer brain knew and with the criminal justice system I knew that to even get criminal charges it would be a high standard and so when that didn't happen, the logics in me wasn't too disappointed. But, you know, there are pros and cons as well with charges being laid. 
 So it's not always... The right solution for a victim survivor. 
 So I then immediately knew, firstly, that was not in my control, a decision that's not up to me and not in control. So I've learnt... And throughout that, healing process, I knew and I learned very quickly to let go of the things I can't control. And that's certainly something that I didn't control at all. But what I could control was then having justice in my hands and suing. And starting a civil case against my former employer. 

 Sharlene | 10:23
Yeah, wow. Okay, but when we're in this place of grief, and in this place of, you know, we're surviving rather than thriving, we don't think like this. And for many of you, if you're listening today, and you are a survivor, is it time for you to have a conversation with a lawyer to see if there are things that you can do to move forward? And whether sometimes it's just about speaking it out, isn't it? It's not necessarily about, you know, speaking it out. Getting the outcome that you were hoping for. 
 Sometimes it's about energetically getting rid of all of this, making it public so that it can't happen again. 

 Lina | 11:00
I think silence is definitely a benefit in speaking to a lawyer and again it's a very different conversation that you have with the lawyer than when you're talking to, for example, a family member. Or a psychologist or a counsellor or a doctor. It's a... I find the healing when I'm in lawyer mode. To be able to take and I don't and I truly don't mean this I mean this in the kindest and most compassionate way. 
 Sometimes it helps to take the emotion out of it. You know, and... And certainly when you're talking to a lawyer, I think a good lawyer in a situation will approach you with kindness and compassion and But as a good lawyer should be able to tell you the law and your legal options and your legal rights and the legal risks and the legal costs. And why all that up? Without the emotion attached so that you can Mike. A logical decision. That includes time and money and all sorts of things and, you know, other types of risks. But a lawyer who can walk with you and hold your hand to explain those things in a kind and compassionate way is a great person. Really can be a very refreshing conversation to have in your healing journey. 

 Sharlene | 12:19
- Yes. Because, you know, generally the newspapers and the television and the movies don't paint the industry in the light that it is because, you know, equally to the police officers, they're in there because they want to make a difference for people. They want to protect them. They want to support them. They want them to move forward. 
 You know, if there was an archetype called lawyer, you know, you're a beautiful example of a lawyer. Of what it would be, you know, to help someone through what can seem to be a really complicated system, that legal system from the outside looking in looks and feels really overwhelming and complicated. Now, especially if you're in trauma brain. 
 So let's talk about that for many of our listeners who are still in that space. What does that look like? Can we talk about that for a few. 

 Lina | 13:15
Minutes? Yes, of course, I'd love to. What does the trauma brain look like? When you're speaking to a lawyer. 

 Sharlene | 13:24
No, so say for instance I have, so my background is both family and domestic violence and at neither of those intersections, interjections, I didn't move forward and get any assistance because who would listen to me. I'm still healing. I can't even talk about it properly myself. I didn't really know what really happened. And so going to a lawyer is like, it would be the last thing on my list of things because I'm still literally licking my wounds. 
 Yeah. So. Can we talk about when you're in trauma brain, when you're in that space of things aren't okay, which for you was like a millisecond because you transitioned straight into lawyer brain and sorting this out. But for many women, we stay in this space of victim and below the line, some of us for decades. 

 Lina | 14:18
What I'm going to say about that is that your health. And your sense of emotional and physical safety and psychological safety is comes first. 
 So if you're not yet in a place of readiness to start looking at legal options, I strongly recommend that make sure that you are able to get yourself into a headspace and a heart space to talk to all the workers. If you're not there yet, Speaking to a lawyer, I will not say is in the top list of priorities. If you're still in a space where you're Amen. Not even able to communicate about it in a way that's safe for you and the way that's productive in order to talk to a lawyer. And make that a priority. I was going to say that even though when my brain went into lawyer mode, It didn't always help me because... My lawyer brain didn't let me be a victim as well. 
 So I remember times where I'd be having conversations as a I'm supposed to be a victim. I am a victim survivor, but my lawyer brain almost didn't let me, and that did let me down as well. 
 So there's strengths in allowing yourself to be a victim and to Acknowledge that. Whereas my brain at the time is confused, trauma, lawyer, brain, victim, brain, trying to survive, not sure what is happening, brain. And Pink. Priority was for me to survive physically. And for me to literally stay alive. 
 So on my legal path, in my legal journey, my healing journey, sometimes a lawyer brain didn't serve me. Will buy them. 
 So I just wanted to make that point. 

 Sharlene | 16:10
That's, I love that. Thank you so much. I hear you. I just want to know for those that have been silenced, disbelieved or blamed, what's How do they reclaim their own voice without losing themselves? 
 So like, how did you do that? And how can we do that? 

 Lina | 16:29
You know, very early on when I knew I had to report it and I wanted to. That was my, I know it's a very personal decision for people, but I looked into my head and I looked forward into if I just go back to work. And I go back. To the meal room and I see him and I'm trying to work but I can't what would happen I knew for me that the pathway for me was to report it. Now. That's not For everyone. I know you'll edit it out this out. Just remind me what was the question again, Sharlene? 
 Well. 

 Sharlene | 17:04
This is about speaking your truth, even though people have silenced you, disbelieved you and blamed you like they've, they just, and this is for family violence and domestic violence is that there are people around you that just don't believe you. And in your case, it was the legal system. In my case, it's the people around me. 
 Yeah. And, you know, did you put, you know, did you bring this upon yourself? 
 Like, how do we get our own voice without like losing ourselves in the process? 

 Lina | 17:30
You know, early on for me, even though I decided to report it, and this is what I was getting at, is that, I made a decision in that moment that I'm going to report this and I don't care if you believe me. It doesn't matter to me if you believe me. Now, that's a difference between being believed and credibility as a witness. 
 So when you're a witness in a legal case, your credibility and reliability essentially comes down to whether you believe. Bye. There is an emotional and a legal technical difference between being believed emotionally and from a legal point of view having the credibility to believe. Ultimately I made the decision as you know what this isn't about whether Some so believe me or this person believes me. Funny too. I'm going to heal and I'm going to report this and I'm going to find justice regardless of whether you believe me. I don't need you to believe me. I don't need your approval. I'm doing this. 
 So that was a decision that I made early on. You know, and again, that was the personal decision that I made and I have the resources and ability and, you know, to take that path. What I would say to others is, you know, There might be someone who doesn't believe you. That there are flood of other people who do and who don't question you. Now, people, if you're saying this has happened to you, There are people who will believe you and know the truth and know your truth without you having to prove anything. The fact that you... You say that that's your experience is enough. 

 Sharlene | 19:13
So powerful. There's so many more questions I want to ask you about how you got back here and how you've moved on and how you've rebuilt your business and yourself and everything else in between. 
 So we're definitely going to have you back as a guest moving forward. But in the meantime, for those of you who are listening, if you're a survivor of family and or domestic violence, reach out to Healing Through Love because we've got pamper days. Now, what does a pamper day look like? Think day spa on steroids, where you come along all for free and pampered from head to toe. Think having skincare done, having your hair massaged, having your hair done, your makeup done, hands massaged. We've got chakra aligning like pick a therapy. We've got 25 different practitioners who hold the space for you for the day for free. We have them both here locally and abroad and obviously now global since 2023. Healing Through Love has now been global and we're so honoured. To have won a global ambassador award through the UN. 
 So it's fabulous that this is this tiny little thing that happened in our backyard has now expanded to a global consume. If you're listening today and you are a practitioner, We'd love to have you as a guest on our podcast. Yes, and reach out to us because we're looking for practitioners to hold the space just for the one day for these survivors. We know this one day changes their entire life. 
 So we'd love to have a chat with you. Now, coming back to you, Lina, I would love to your final words of wisdom for our listeners. Share your final words of wisdom for our listeners. 

 Lina | 20:46
I see you. I hear you and I feel you. And I truly, Wish you... All the kindness and all the light in your healing. And I urge you that if you feel that There's a legal solution and a legal path to your healing. Then please consider that because I truly do believe in our... System and our legal system in Australia. To help through your healing. 

 Sharlene | 21:14
That's so solid. I love it, Lina. Thank you so much for this beautiful conversation. Thank you so much for just speaking an open heart and sharing. And I'm looking forward to having you back because I've got so many more questions. It's a goodbye from us from Healing Through Love and a goodbye from Lina. Bye for now. 

 Lina | 21:32
Bye. Thank you so much. 

 Outro | 21:37
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Healing Through Love. You can get further resources, see the show notes, or simply reach out to us via our website at htlaustralia.org. Thanks so much for joining us, and we look forward to your company next time on the Healing Through Love podcast.