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Sam Kerr's alleged racial comments revealed by UK paper

<p>The legal controversy surrounding <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Matildas star Sam Kerr </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">following allegations of racially charged remarks directed towards a police officer in London continues to unfold, after a UK newspaper published those alleged remarks. </span></p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26401266/sam-kerr-football-charge-crime-police-fifa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>, Kerr allegedly called a police officer a "stupid white bastard" during a dispute over a taxi fare. The details emerged as Kerr faced charges for using insulting, threatening or abusive words towards the officer, causing alarm or distress. The seriousness of the allegations is underscored by the potential consequences, with Kerr facing a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment if convicted.</p> <p>The incident is said to have taken place in January 2023 shortly after Kerr's remarkable performance in a Chelsea FA Cup victory, and Kerr has maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges brought against her.</p> <p>The delayed prosecution in Kerr's case has sparked speculation, with reports suggesting that determining the appropriate charge was a complex process for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, as the trial approaches, the focus shifts towards the legal proceedings and the evidence that will be presented in court.</p> <p>Throughout her career, Kerr has been a prominent figure in the fight against racism in sport. Her past actions, including posing with an Aboriginal flag alongside her Matildas teammates, reflect a commitment to promoting inclusivity and unity. Kerr's accolades both on and off the field have solidified her iconic status, making the allegations against her all the more surprising.</p> <p>In response to the controversy, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson and Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed their lack of prior knowledge regarding the incident. </p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment directly on the matter, but said that Kerr's actions during her tenure as the national flag bearer exemplified pride and dignity. </p> <p>“I don’t comment on legal matters before Australian courts, let alone other ones,” Albanese said. “I will say this about my contact with Sam Kerr, she was our flag bearer at the coronation. My contact with her was exemplary. She did Australia proud at that time and I think that my contact with her has been nothing but delightful.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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"I was terrified": Law & Order star reveals traumatic past

<p><em>Warning: This story contains graphic content.</em></p> <p>Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson, a character that investigate rapists on <em>Law &amp; Order: Special Victims Unit, </em>has revealed that she too is a victim of sexual assault. </p> <p>The actress opened up about her traumatic past in a powerful essay written for <a href="https://people.com/mariska-hargitay-experience-rape-renewal-reckoning-8424247" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People Magazine</em></a>, where she revealed that she was raped by “a friend" when she was in her thirties. </p> <p>"A man raped me in my thirties," she bravely revealed in the essay. </p> <p>"It wasn’t sexual at all. It was dominance and control. Overpowering control."</p> <p>The actress revealed that he was a friend who "made a unilateral decision" and recalled the fear she felt when the incident occurred. </p> <p>"He grabbed me by the arms and held me down. I was terrified," she said. </p> <p>"I didn’t want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was already sexual violence, but I was afraid he would become physically violent.</p> <p>"I went into freeze mode, a common trauma response when there is no option to escape. I checked out of my body," she recalled. </p> <p>Hargitay, who is the daughter of the late actress Jane Mansfield, said that she never thought of herself as a "survivor", and often "minimised" what happened to her when she talked about it with others. </p> <p>"My husband Peter remembers me saying, “I mean, it wasn’t rape," she wrote. </p> <p>"Then things started shifting in me, and I began talking about it more in earnest with those closest to me. They were the first ones to call it what it was."</p> <p>The actress said that she wants other survivors to feel "no shame" about sexual assault and wants "this violence to end." </p> <p>She added that justice "may look different for each survivor," but for her she wants "an acknowledgment and an apology" after what happened. </p> <p>"This is a painful part of my story. The experience was horrible. But it doesn’t come close to defining me, in the same way that no other single part of my story defines me," she concluded, adding that she feels for all sexual violence survivors. </p> <p>"I’m turning 60, and I’m so deeply grateful for where I am. I’m renewed and I’m flooded with compassion for all of us who have suffered. And I’m still proudly in process."</p> <p>Hargitay started her own foundation, the Joyful Heart Foundation, in 2004 to help survivors of sexual assault. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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London police receive even older Russell Brand sexual assault allegation

<p>London police have announced that they are investigating a sexual assault allegation involving British comedian and actor Russell Brand. This revelation comes in the wake of media reports that have emerged, detailing accusations <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/bbc-responds-to-damning-russell-brand-allegations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made by four women against Brand</a> for incidents that allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013, including a rape allegation linked to his Los Angeles residence.</p> <p>Brand, known for his comedy and acting career, has vehemently denied all allegations, asserting that all of his sexual relationships were consensual. The comedian gained fame as a commentator on the reality show <em>Big Brother</em> and subsequently played significant roles in Hollywood films such as <em>Forgetting Sarah Marshall</em> in 2008 and <em>Get Him to the Greek</em> in 2010. He was also briefly married to singer Katy Perry.</p> <p>In recent times, Brand has gained prominence as a political commentator and video blogger, although some of his content has featured COVID-19 conspiracy theories and misinformation regarding vaccines.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxOooOsIGXd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxOooOsIGXd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Russell Brand (@russellbrand)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The police announcement specifically referenced a new allegation stemming from an incident in central London's Soho neighbourhood in 2003. The Metropolitan Police stated that they are in contact with the woman who made this allegation and are providing her with support. They have also reached out to <em>The Sunday Times</em> and Channel 4, urging anyone who believes they have been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward and report it.</p> <p>In response to these allegations, three of Brand's former employers, including the BBC, Channel 4, and Banijay UK production company, have initiated their own investigations into the claims.</p> <p>Consequently, Brand's upcoming stand-up performance at the Theatre Royal Windsor, scheduled for Tuesday, has been cancelled, with tour promoters announcing the postponement of additional shows in light of the ongoing situation.</p> <p>Talent agency Tavistock Wood has severed ties with the comedian, citing feeling "horribly misled" by him, and Bluebird publisher has decided to "pause" future collaborations with Brand.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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AFL legend Barry Cable accused of historical sexual abuse

<p>AFL great Barry Cable is being sued over allegations that he sexually abused a Perth teenager at the height of his playing career. </p> <p>Until now, his identity had been concealed by order of the District Court of Western Australia. </p> <p>Cable denies all allegations and is not facing criminal charges. </p> <p>In court documents, the woman who cannot be named claims she was sexually abused by Cable, starting in 1968 when she was 12 years old, and continuing until 1973. She is seeking damages, claiming she suffered psychiatric harm as a result of the harassment.</p> <p>The woman said Mr. Cable once told her “he would teach her about the facts of life and the birds and the bees” so “she would be a big hit with men.” She claims Cable had also threatened to sexually abuse her sister if she did not comply with his demands. </p> <p>The judge, Mark Herron said Cable would not take part in the upcoming five-day trial and is not represented by a lawyer. </p> <p>Cable has also filed a defence in which he states he had a “consensual sexual relationship” with the woman around 1983.</p> <p>The court was informed that Cable had been declared bankrupt, so no funds are available if there are any costs. </p> <p>Barry Cable is considered to be one of the greatest Australian footballers of all time. He was inducted into the Australia Football Hall of Fame and was elevated to “Legend” status in 2012.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Don’t blame women for low libido. Sexual sparks fly when partners do their share of chores – including calling the plumber

<p>When a comic about “mental load” <a href="https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/">went viral in 2017</a>, it sparked conversations about the invisible workload women carry. Even when women are in paid employment, they remember their mother-in-law’s birthday, know what’s in the pantry and organise the plumber. This mental load often goes unnoticed.</p> <p>Women also <a href="https://theconversation.com/yet-again-the-census-shows-women-are-doing-more-housework-now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-interventions-185488">continue to do more housework</a> and childcare than their male partners.</p> <p>This burden has been exacerbated over the recent pandemic (homeschooling anyone?), <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-stress-and-worry-put-the-mental-load-on-mothers-will-2022-be-the-year-they-share-the-burden-172599">leaving women</a> feeling exhausted, anxious and resentful.</p> <p>As sexuality researchers, we wondered, with all this extra work, do women have any energy left for sex?</p> <p>We decided to explore how mental load affects intimate relationships. We focused on female sexual desire, as “low desire” affects <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609520307566">more than 50% of women</a> and is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091302217300079">difficult to treat</a>.</p> <p>Our study, published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2022.2079111">Journal of Sex Research</a>, shows women in equal relationships (in terms of housework and the mental load) are more satisfied with their relationships and, in turn, feel more sexual desire than those in unequal relationships.</p> <p> </p> <h2>How do we define low desire?</h2> <p>Low desire is tricky to explore. More than simply the motivation to have sex, women describe sexual desire as a state-of-being and a need for closeness.</p> <p>Adding to this complexity is the fluctuating nature of female desire that changes in response to life experiences and the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160630-the-enduring-enigma-of-female-desire">quality of relationships</a>.</p> <p>Relationships are especially important to female desire: relationship dissatisfaction is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18410300/">top risk factor</a> for low desire in women, even more than the physiological impacts of age and menopause. Clearly, relationship factors are critical to understanding female sexual desire.</p> <p>As a way of addressing the complexity of female desire, a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-018-1212-9">recent theory</a> proposed two different types of desire: dyadic desire is the sexual desire one feels for another, whereas solo desire is about individual feelings.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, dyadic desire is intertwined with the dynamics of the relationship, while solo desire is more amorphous and involves feeling good about yourself as a sexual being (feeling sexy), without needing validation from another.</p> <h2>Assessing the link</h2> <p>Our research acknowledged the nuances of women’s desire and its strong connection to relationship quality by exploring how fairness in relationships might affect desire.</p> <p>The research involved asking 299 Australian women aged 18 to 39 questions about desire and relationships.</p> <p>These questions included assessments of housework, mental load – such as who organised social activities and made financial arrangements – and who had more leisure time.</p> <p>We compared three groups:</p> <ul> <li>relationships where women perceived the work as equally shared equal (the “equal work” group)</li> <li>when the woman felt she did more work (the “women’s work” group)</li> <li>when women thought that their partner contributed more (the “partner’s work” group).</li> </ul> <p>We then explored how these differences in relationship equity impacted female sexual desire.</p> <h2>What we found</h2> <p>The findings were stark. Women who rated their relationships as equal also reported greater relationship satisfaction and higher dyadic desire (intertwined with the dynamics of the relationship) than other women in the study.</p> <p>Unfortunately (and perhaps, tellingly), the partner’s work group was too small to draw any substantial conclusions.</p> <p>However, for the women’s work group it was clear their dyadic desire was diminished. This group was also less satisfied in their relationships overall.</p> <p>We found something interesting when turning our attention to women’s solo desire. While it seems logical that relationship inequities might affect all aspects of women’s sexuality, our results showed that fairness did not significantly impact solo desire.</p> <p>This suggests women’s low desire isn’t an internal sexual problem to be treated with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/yoni-eggs#:%7E:text=Yoni%20eggs%20are%20egg%2Dshaped,bacterial%20infections%20and%20intense%20pain.">mindfulness apps and jade eggs</a>, but rather one that needs effort from both partners.</p> <p>Other relationship factors are involved. We found children increased the workload for women, leading to lower relationship equity and consequently, lower sexual desire.</p> <p> </p> <p>Relationship length also played a role. Research shows long-term relationships are <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-018-1175-x">associated with</a> decreasing desire for women, and this is often attributed to the tedium of over-familiarity (think of the bored, sexless <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBq-Nyo0lQg">wives in 90s sitcoms</a>).</p> <p>However our research indicates relationship boredom is not the reason, with the increasing inequity over the course of a relationship often the cause of women’s disinterest in sex.</p> <p>The longer some relationships continue, the more unfair they become, lowering women’s desire. This may be because women take on managing their partner’s relationships, as well as their own (“It’s time we had your best friend over for dinner”).</p> <p>And while domestic housework may start as equally shared, over time, women <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/women-spent-more-time-men-unpaid-work-may">tend to do more</a> household tasks.</p> <h2>What about same-sex couples?</h2> <p>Same-sex couples have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/fare.12293">more equitable relationships</a>.</p> <p>However, we found the same link between equity and desire for women in same-sex relationships, although it was much stronger for heteronormative couples.</p> <p>A sense of fairness within a relationship is fundamental to all women’s satisfaction and sexual desire.</p> <h2>What happens next?</h2> <p>Our findings suggest one response to low desire in women could be to address the amount of work women have to take on in relationships.</p> <p>The link between relationship satisfaction and female sexual desire has been firmly established in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-018-1175-x">previous research</a> but our findings explain how this dynamic works: women’s sense of fairness within a relationship forecasts their contentment, which has repercussions on their desire for their partner.</p> <p>To translate our results into clinical practice, we could run trials to confirm if lowering women’s mental load results in greater sexual desire.</p> <p>We could have a “housework and mental load ban” for a sample of women reporting low sexual desire and record if there are changes in their reported levels of desire.</p> <p>Or perhaps women’s sexual partners could do the dishes tonight and see what happens.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-women-for-low-libido-sexual-sparks-fly-when-partners-do-their-share-of-chores-including-calling-the-plumber-185401" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Relationships

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Victims of child sexual abuse react to Cardinal Pell's death

<p>Victims of childhood sexual abuse have shared their reactions to the news of the death of Cardinal George Pell. </p> <p>Pell, who was previously convicted for historic sex crimes, died at age 81 in Rome on Wednesday after complications from hip replacement surgery. </p> <p>Phil Nagle, who was assaulted by a priest at the age of nine, said bluntly, "He's certainly burning in hell right now."</p> <p>"I'm glad he's passed on," he told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/reaction-to-cardinal-george-pells-death/33dd1fd4-fb5a-4fd0-9cba-54da4d4de15b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>. </p> <p>Nagle went on to say he believed Pell "was a liar and a protector of paedophile clergy".</p> <p>"(He) had plenty of opportunities during his lifetime to try and redeem himself," he said.</p> <p>"It's a bit of a shame he's taken the secrets to the grave."</p> <p>Victims advocate Helen Last said she "felt really numb" when she heard about Pell's death.</p> <p>"It's a tragedy of great proportions. There's so many survivors in Victoria still who have not been able to come forward about alleged abuse by him, on them," she said.</p> <p>"I personally believe on the basis of evidence that George Pell has been involved in a network of sexual offending clergy that goes right back."</p> <p>Sex abuse victim Michael Advocate said his shed weren't of sorrow when he heard about Pell's passing.</p> <p>"He was a terrible, terrible human being that just damaged so many child sex abuse victims, including me," Advocate said.</p> <p>"There's so many of my fellow sufferers, you know … he got off so lightly. I hope he really gets justice."</p> <p>"If there is a God, dear God may he be forthright in his punishment."</p> <p>Despite an onslaught of similar comments from members of the public who stand with Pell's accusers, famous friends of the Church were quick to share their sadness over the Cardinal's death. </p> <p>Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a Catholic and staunch Pell supporter, described the cardinal as a "saint" and compared the sexual abuse charges that effectively ended his ecclesiastical career to "a modern form of crucifixion".</p> <p>Reacting to Abbott's statement on Instagram, former <em>7News Melbourne</em> host Jacqui Felgate summed up the anger felt by Pell's critics with a brutal, three-word response.</p> <p>"Beyond the pale," she wrote.</p> <p>Many of Felgate's followers agreed, with former <em>Bachelor</em> star Matthew Johnson saying, "This is absolutely abhorrent and really puts into perspective what type of person [he is]."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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20 years of tracking sexual harassment at work shows little improvement. But that could be about to change

<p>The fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces shows little has changed since the last survey in 2018 – or indeed since the first survey in 2003.</p> <p>It points to the importance of the legislative changes being pursued by the Albanese government, including reforms that passed parliament on Monday.</p> <p>The <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/time-for-respect-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey of 10,000 Australians</a> was commissioned by the Australian Human Rights Commission and conducted by Roy Morgan Research in August and September. It shows 33% of workers were sexually harassed at work in the previous five years – 41% of women and 26% of men.</p> <p>This compares with 39% of women and 26% of men <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_WORKPLACE_SH_2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2018</a>, and with 15% of women and 6% of men <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sexual-harassment-workplace-key-findings-overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2003</a> (though these results cannot be easily compared with the latest figures due to changes in survey methodology).</p> <p>The most common form of sexually harassment were:</p> <ul> <li>comments or jokes (40% of women, 14% of men)</li> <li>intrusive questions about one’s private life or appearance (32% of women, 14% of men)</li> <li>inappropriate staring (30% of women, 8% of men)</li> <li>unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing (28% of women, 10% of men)</li> <li>inappropriate physical contact (26% of women, 11% of men).</li> </ul> <p>Men were responsible for 91% of harassment of women, and 55% of harassment of men.</p> <p>Most of those harassed said their harasser also sexually harassed another employee. Just 18% formally reported the harassment. Of those, only 28% said the harassment stopped as a result, while 24% said their harasser faced no consequences.</p> <h2>Slow work on reforms</h2> <p>These results highlight the importance of the reforms now being made by the Albanese government, implementing the recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2020 <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/publications/respectwork-sexual-harassment-national-inquiry-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Respect@Work</a> report.</p> <p>That report made 55 recommendations. The Morrison government acted on just a handful.</p> <p>It amended <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us-legislation-fair-work-system/respect-work-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Fair Work Act</a> to enable individuals to apply to the Fair Work Commission for a “stop sexual harassment” order, and to make it clear sexual harassment is grounds for dismissal.</p> <p>But it ignored the key recommendation: placing a positive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment, requiring them to treat harassment like other work health and safety issues.</p> <p>This was needed, the report argued, because treating sexual harassment as being about aberrant individuals led to a workplace focus on individual complaints. It did little to change structural drivers of such behaviour.</p> <h2>Albanese government commitments</h2> <p>On Monday, the Albanese government finally made this pivotal reform, when parliament <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/media-releases/passage-respectwork-bill-major-step-preventing-harassment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed its Respect@Work bill</a>.</p> <p>It is now no longer enough for employers to have a policy and act on complaints. They must also take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation.</p> <p>The government has committed to implementing all 55 recommendations. The Respect@Work bill implements seven.</p> <p>Others should be achieved with the omnibus industrial relations bill now before the Senate. Improving the conditions and bargaining power of those in insecure and low-paid work, and reducing gender inequalities, should lessen the vulnerabilities that enable harassment to flourish.</p> <h2>Ratifying the ILO convention</h2> <p>Last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/address-international-trade-union-confederation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committed</a> to ratifying the International Labor Organisation’s convention on <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/violence-harassment/lang--en/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work</a>.</p> <p>So far, <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11300:0::NO:11300:P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:3999810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22 nations</a> have ratified the treaty. Ratification will oblige Australia to align its laws and regulations with the treaty’s provisions.</p> <p>This is significant not just because the convention is the first international treaty to enshrine the right to work free from violence and harassment as its focus. It also breaks with the historical framing of sexual harassment as an individual interpersonal conflict.</p> <p>The convention calls for an integrated approach to eliminating workplace violence and harassment. In Australia’s case, this will require developing approaches that break down the policy and regulatory fences between anti-discrimination measures, and those covering workplace rights and work health and safety.</p> <p>This could prove challenging – with sexual harassment being only one form of gender-based violence. But implementing all 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work report is a good start.</p> <p>Hopefully the sixth national workplace survey will have a better story to tell.</p> <p><strong>This story originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/20-years-of-tracking-sexual-harassment-at-work-shows-little-improvement-but-that-could-be-about-to-change-195554" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Brittany Higgins speaks publicly for first time since dropped charges

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Brittany Higgins has spoken publicly for the first time since the charges of sexual assault were dropped against Bruce Lehrmann due to concerns about her mental health.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former Liberal staffer took to social media with her statement about the trial, noting that “the outcome does not affect the truth”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I chose to speak up,” she began. </p> <p dir="ltr">“To speak up against rape. To speak up against injustice. To speak up and share my experiences with others.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told the truth - no matter how uncomfortable or how unflattering - to the Court. The outcome does not affect the truth. When I did speak up, I never fully understood our asymmetrical criminal justice system.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I do now.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f4ee888b-7fff-8b0a-4782-a0187822af74"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Higgins, who testified and was cross-examined during the initial trial while Lehrmann wasn’t, continued to describe the impact of taking sexual assault allegations to court and how alleged offenders aren’t impacted to the same degree.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CluKsquhqme/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CluKsquhqme/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Brittany Higgins (@brittanyhiggins___)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I was requested to tell the truth under oath over a week on the witness stand and was cross-examined at length,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was afforded the choice of staying silent in court. Head down in a notebook, completely detached.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He never faced one question in court about his story or the criminal charges.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She added that surrendered her phones, passwords, photos and other data to the court, a requirement Lehrmann was not made to comply with.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My life was publicly scrutinised, open for the world to see. His was not,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Higgins also addressed the scrutiny the media faced for initially referring to the trial as the ‘Higgins trial’, saying that she didn’t blame the media “because to me it is very obvious who is on trial”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He hasn’t had to be publicly accountable - for his actions of any part of his story,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is the reality of how complainants in sexual assault cases are treated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Their lives are torn apart, their families and friends called to the witness stand and the accused has the legal right to say absolutely nothing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Like all women who experience sexual violence, I knew the odds were stacked against me from the outset.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to address the imbalance in Australia’s legal system, citing statistics that said only 16 percent of sexual offences reported to police in the ACT during 2020 led to a charge, with only half of that 16 percent resulting in a conviction.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is to our national shame,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to thank the other women who came forward and shared their own experiences.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe you. You were with me every day I walked into that courtroom and faced him.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Higgins also went on to thank those who attended the March 4 Justice rallies,  journalists “who helped amplify the issue” and mental health workers, “without whom, I literally would not be here today”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her statement comes a week after the charges against Lehrmann were dropped and a retrial set for next year was scrapped.</p> <p dir="ltr">The initial trial, which began in October, ended with no verdict due to juror misconduct.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>If you or someone you know is in need of support as a result of sexual assault or child contact LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support or call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-75f0cc4d-7fff-afda-71fc-de5158669136"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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“This brings this prosecution to an end”: Charges dropped against Bruce Lehrmann

<p dir="ltr">The trial of Bruce Lehrmann over allegations he raped Brittany Higgins has come to an end, after new evidence was presented showing that the “ongoing trauma” of the trial was an unacceptable risk to Ms Higgins.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shane Drumgold, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said on Friday that he had reviewed new medical evidence and made the “difficult decision” to file a notice declining a retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have recently received compelling evidence from two independent medical experts, that the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents an unacceptable and significant risk to the life of the complainant,’’ he said during a press conference.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The evidence makes it clear this is not limited to the harm of giving evidence in the witness box, rather applies whether or not the complainant is required to re-enter the witness box in the retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whilst the pursuit of justice is essential for my office and the community, the safety of a complainant in a sexual assault matter, must be paramount.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In light of the compelling independent medical opinions, and balancing all factors, I have made the difficult decision that it is no longer in the public interest to pursue a prosecution at the risk of the complainant’s life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has left me no other options but to file a notice declining to proceed with the retrial of prosecution, which I have done this morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This brings this prosecution to an end.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Drumgold said that the investigation and trial has resulted in “a level of personal attack” against Ms Higgins that he hadn’t seen in his 20-year career.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has done so with bravery, grace and dignity, and it is my hope that this now stop; that Miss Higgins now be allowed to heal,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Drumgold noted that DPP policy states that the decision to prosecute should be made “after due consideration”, shouldn’t be a light or automatic process, and that it can be understood as occurring over two stages.</p> <p dir="ltr">“First, does the evidence offer reasonable prospects of conviction?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If so, is it in the public interest to proceed with a prosecution?</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a view I still hold today.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The first trial <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/stunning-developments-in-rape-trial-of-bruce-lehrmann">ended in late October</a>, with the jury being dismissed and no verdict given after a juror brought research material into the courtroom.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lehrmann had pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent, with his lawyers telling the court that no sexual activity took place.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second trial was due to commence on February 20, 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision to drop charges against Lehrmann comes after it was revealed that Mr Drumgold was seeking “urgent” legal changes to ensure that Ms Higgins’ evidence could be played in court during a retrial to avoid her taking the witness stand again.</p> <p dir="ltr">Under current legislation, there was uncertainty as to whether a recording of Ms Higgins’ cross-examination could be used in the retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">The proposed changes would allow sexual assault complainents who give evidence in open court - like Ms Higgins did - to have their evidence played to the jury in the same way that it would be if complainants in remote locations are recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes amid criticism of the criminal justice system and courts over the re-traumatising experience sexual assault survivors undergo while giving evidence.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a study conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, they noted that giving evidence in court can be traumatic and stressful for a number of reasons.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The need for victims to confront the person alleged to have assaulted them, the difficulties of talking about the circumstances surrounding the assault and the embarrassment of being questioned in public about sexual matters can make committals and trials highly traumatic experiences for victims,” they <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp068.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the event that a mistrial occurs or the matter is referred for a further hearing at appeal, the trauma is exacerbated because the complainant is required to go through the entire process again. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Such a prospect may not only discourage sexual assault victims from being willing to give testimony, but may also discourage victims from reporting the sexual assault to police in the first place.”</p> <p dir="ltr">They found that jurors presented with evidence face-to-face, through CCTV footage, or in a pre-recorded video weren’t being affected by the mode of evidence on their perception of the survivor or when making decisions.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f46bdf13-7fff-1367-57ae-3b1fa4466ea8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

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Neighbours star facing sexual assault charge

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article includes discussion of sexual assault.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Former <em>Neighbours </em>star Scott McGregor has been charged with one count of sexual assault after a night out at a popular Melbourne pub.</p> <p dir="ltr">McGregor, who played police detective Mark Brennan on the soap from 2013 to 2020, was charged in relation to an incident at St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade, or ‘Espy’, on Sunday, February 20.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em><a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/scott-mcgregor-charged-over-incident-at-a-st-kilda-bar/news-story/df4b8b360ec09602c462f9a5f5101b2d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald Sun</a></em> reported that McGregor was charged by detectives from the Bayside Sexual Offences and Child Investigation Team last week.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 41-year-old actor and model will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January in relation to the charge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his lengthy stint on <em>Neighbours </em>and appearance in 940 episodes, fans were disappointed when he didn’t appear on the show’s final episode in July, which saw the return of many of the show’s alumni.</p> <p dir="ltr">The star, who has also appeared in <em>Underbelly</em>, <em>Offspring</em>, and <em>Winners &amp; Losers</em>, lives in Melbourne with his wife Bianka and two children.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f08a0f3-7fff-0fc3-647f-61f6935a3bab"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @scottymcgregor (Instagram)</em></p>

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When it comes to family violence, young women are too often ignored

<p>Recent <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-29/sexual-assaults-australia-record-high/101281802" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evidence</a> shows the scale of sexual violence against women and children in Australia has been severely underestimated. Family violence is a key driver.</p> <p>Yet, young women are currently invisible in responses to such violence. Our research sought to understand why young women’s experiences are so overlooked. We found that young women have typically been sidelined in approaches to family violence, and need to be given specific regard in any strategies to address it.</p> <h2>Young women’s over-representation in statistics</h2> <p><a href="https://20ian81kynqg38bl3l3eh8bf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/4AP.4-Loxton-Longitudinal-Womens-Health-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (<a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ANROWS</a>) found 51% of women in their 20s have experienced sexual violence.</p> <p>Further, the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare</a> estimates 2.2 million Australians (12% of the population) have had experiences of sexual violence, threats and/or assault since the age of 15.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <p>While <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/crime-victimisation-australia/2020-21#data-download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physical assault rates for men</a> have almost halved since 2008-09, the largest reported increase in physical assault is that experienced by young women aged 18 to 29. There are also <a>increasing rates of sexual assault</a> in Australia. Recent data show this rising for the tenth year in a row, from 83 to 121 victim-survivors per 100,000 since 2011.</p> <p>Australian and <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77432/WHO_RHR_12.36_eng.pdf;jsessionid=37AAFA42352CF3553BC4D77F4DD23A0C?sequence=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global data</a> show most violence against women is perpetrated by a family member or intimate partner (<a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/male-assault-rates-almost-halved-over-last-decade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">49%</a>).</p> <p>Despite experiencing unique and serious safety risks, young women are almost invisible in public debate on the issue.</p> <h2>Young women’s absence from discussions</h2> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08861099221108381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our recently published research</a> found young women lack voice and visibility in discussions about family violence in Australia, and particularly intimate partner violence.</p> <p>This is a considerable problem, as young women are overrepresented in family violence and sexual assaults statistics. National police data show young women aged 15-19 are more likely than any other age group of women to experience sexual <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/0375553f-0395-46cc-9574-d54c74fa601a/aihw-fdv-5.pdf.aspx?inline=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assault</a>.</p> <p>Although there are no national data specifically focused on recording the intimate partner violence experiences of young women, <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/576554/31631-ARCSHS_NSASSSH_FINAL-A-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national secondary school health surveys</a> show 61% of young women aged between 14 and 18 report unwanted sex due to partner pressure. Despite such concerning figures, young women’s voices are rarely heard.</p> <p>The <a href="http://rcfv.archive.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence</a> highlighted that in the absence of youth-focused family violence supports, young people are generally relying on informal networks, such as friends, for family violence assistance. Seven years later, work is now being undertaken to raise awareness and develop a framework for youth intimate partner violence risk assessments.</p> <h2>We need a youth-focused national agenda</h2> <p>Across Australia, family violence work that is focused on young women generally involves primary prevention. This includes respectful relationships and consent education in schools, of which there is no current standardised national curriculum.</p> <p>Unlike <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2021/03/government-of-canada-legislation-targets-intimate-partner-violence.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5762/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the United States</a>, there are no dedicated Australian national agendas or plans that specifically address the issue of young people and intimate partner violence.</p> <p>Nationally in Australia, there is currently no uniform definition of intimate partner violence in youth and adolescent relationships. Instead, the issue is known by a patchwork of terms: teen dating violence, adolescent intimate partner violence, youth family violence. This minimises the problem further.</p> <p>Young people’s relationships are different from those of adults. Although there are some common ways in which power and control are exerted and experienced, young women have unique needs and risks when embarking on their first relationships. When these involve abuse, this can have a serious impact on a young woman’s health, safety, identity, and how they understand themselves and relationships.</p> <p>Moreover, these harmful patterns can persist into adulthood. Their experiences of harm and isolation are further compounded by the lack of youth specific and friendly family violence supports and services.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08861099221108381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our findings</a> highlight the importance of not only recognising the unique and diverse experiences of young women, but the need to ensure services and responses reflect the complexity of young women’s experiences.</p> <p>There has been some recent <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-family-violence-research-agenda-2021-2024/research-priorities/adolescent-family-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notable work</a> by the Victorian government.</p> <p>However, unless we grapple with the underpinning issues at a national level, we risk continuing to overlook these young women and exacerbate their experiences of violence. It is essential that youth-specific intimate partner violence responses exist. They need to be designed and implemented in a way that is informed by and honours the diverse voices of young women in Australia.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-it-comes-to-family-violence-young-women-are-too-often-ignored-190547" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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"Sad, old menacing coward:" Grace Tame reports childhood abuser to police

<p dir="ltr">Activist Grace Tame has revealed she continues to be harassed by the man who abused her as a child, having reported him to the police for “targeted harassment” online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Tame was 15 when she was groomed and raped by her maths teacher Nicolaas Bester, who then bragged about his crimes online while she was unable to speak out due to Tasmania’s “gag law”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her legal fight to change the laws, which prevent sexual abuse victims from publicly identifying themselves, as part of the #LetHerSpeak campaign, saw Ms Tame pushed into the public eye and recognised for her efforts when she was named the Australian of the Year.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, on Wednesday the 23-year-old said she was “still dealing with open threats and harassment from the man who abused me and others”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has been my reality for 12 years now, behind closed doors for my family and me,” she wrote on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also shared screenshots of tweets appearing to be from Bester, where her childhood email is referenced and he threatens that “he is coming to show all too (sic) you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In one message dated April 27, Bester uses her email address and writes, “at last I shall come for [email address]..... in good time…..”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f717230e-7fff-daf2-45a4-7cf9c4cb0c6a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In another, posted on August 28, he uses her email address again, writing that “the good old comeuppance on its way” with “only 4 weeks to go!!”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This has been the reality for 12 years now, behind closed doors for my family and me. </p> <p>Mark my words, I am not going anywhere though.</p> <p>— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1564185208882352128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Here he is, the twice-convicted child sex offender, referring to my childhood email, which very few people know, in place of my name. It was the login to my old Facebook he and I communicated on,” Ms Tame wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s counting down to an act of revenge, planned for the day of my book’s release.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She alleged that his repeated comments constituted a federal offence and contravened <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/sexual-exploitation-policy">Twitter’s child exploitation policy</a>, which says that content that further contributes to the victimisation of children “through the promotion or glorification of child sexual exploitation” is also prohibited.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is targeted harassment of a known victim of his past crimes, designed to cause further harm,” Ms Tame said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve reported them to police, but our reactive justice system is too slow, and nothing’s changed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bester was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for maintaining a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 17 and possession of child exploitation material, but only served one year and nine months before he was released.</p> <p dir="ltr">He has been free to speak about his abuse of Ms Tame for some time and has previously taken to social media to brag to his followers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The majority of men in Australia envy me,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was 59, she was 15 going on 25. It was awesome.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bester’s account has since been suspended by Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Tame said her tweets were an act of reclaiming power “against a predator operating in plain sight”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This man seems to think he is still relevant and can maintain control over me,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This man who groomed and abused me when I was a child.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not ashamed of any of it now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But he should be. He was an adult who abused his authority.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just because I have found the anger and strength in me now, does it make me an aggressor, or a survivor?</p> <p dir="ltr">"I know who I am. I am a survivor. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I have the power to be vulnerable. He will never have that. He is too afraid, and too weak. He is too weak to be vulnerable. Instead, he exploits others who are. He knows no other way to be. I see that now. And because of that, he doesn't scare me anymore.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Tame added that her posts were “not for the critics” and were instead for survivors like her.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He is a sad, old menacing coward.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is not for the critics. They will say what they always say. This is for the people like me. And you know who you are too.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I stand with you. We have the power.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5922148f-7fff-0a6b-a1ff-adbf0776ba85"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em><strong>If you or someone you know needs support as a result of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, contact the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service on 1300 657 380, or LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support.</strong></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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"Absolutely ridiculous": Aussie grandma charged after exposing sex offender

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Content warning: This article includes mentions of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).</strong></em></p> <p dir="ltr">A grandmother-of-seven has been charged and hit with a hefty fine after going to great lengths to expose a convicted paedophile who moved to her community.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxine Davey held up signs reading, ‘Keep children safe from peodophiles (sic)’, along a busy stretch of road to warn residents of the Central Queensland neighbourhood of Calliope that the man had moved there after being released from prison.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the 59-year-old landed in hot water when she filmed the outside of the man’s home and shared the footage - which included vision of his property and vehicles that could be identified - on Facebook, prompting angry locals to comment and make threats.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was found guilty of one count of unlawful stalking, which comes with a potential five-year jail term.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just wanted to hold up a sign, publicise the fact that other parents (need) to be aware, but then I stepped over the line and broke the law,” she told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/queensland-grandmother-convicted-after-outing-predator-on-facebook/2cba9761-85d3-4a4e-8c3d-ee5632a72ef1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I crossed the line by posting [the video]. I posted it and it was online for two hours and 35 minutes before I quickly removed it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was shocked, I was sorry. I didn’t know at the time I’d broken the law, but obviously [the police] told me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was able to avoid prison time after the magistrate ruled that she pay a $2200 fine instead. Her phone was also confiscated and a conviction was recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m really devastated by it all,” Ms Davey said of the conviction. “I’ve never considered myself a criminal and I’ll have this charge against me for the rest of my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the legal action, sexual assault survivors who were victims of the man Ms Davey exposed have rallied behind her, saying she should be treated as a “hero”, not a criminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is absolutely ridiculous how the justice system works. She shouldn't be put through this. This is not fair,” one victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe she is honestly like a hero. It absolutely breaks my heart that she's trying to do the right thing (as) a human and she's absolutely being torn apart for it,” another victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 41-year-old was convicted of rape and multiple counts of indecent treatment of children under the age of 16 and sentenced to two years and nine months of jail time last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Queensland Government’s website, confidential details about a sex offender can be released by the chief executive of Corrective Services when individual community members need to know information about the offender, such as their employment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unlike in the US, where Megan’s Law requires police to release information about registered sex offenders to the public, individuals who request confidential information in Australia must sign a confidentiality agreement first.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1e633a3c-7fff-dcad-2093-78ad07e6813b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you or someone you know is in need of support as a result of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, contact the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service on 1300 657 380, or LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support.</em></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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Grace Tame confirms government will tackle sexual assault legislation

<p dir="ltr">Former Australian of the Year and sexual assault survivor Grace Tame has previously called on consistent sexual abuse legislation across all jurisdictions.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has now shared a letter from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus who is taking “sexual abuse seriously at a national level”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The letter contains a five-year plan agreed to by Mr Dreyfus and the other Australian Attorneys-General on August 12, to discuss state and federal movements. </p> <p dir="ltr">The plan is described as “one of its kind” and comes with Mr Dreyfus thanking Ms Tame for her consistent hard work to tackle the issue when it was first raised on 12 November, 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All Attorneys-General agreed to endorse and publish the Work Plan to Strengthen Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault 2022-2027,” the letter read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It focuses on three national priority areas: strengthening legal frameworks, building justice sector capability, and supporting greater research and collaboration.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The five-year Work Plan builds on existing and prospective activities across Australia to improve justice responses to sexual assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Under the Work Plan, the Australian state and territory governments will take individual and collective action on the important issue of criminal justice responses to sexual assault. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This letter is the result of survivors and advocates working over many years. </p> <p>Thank you, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, for taking sexual abuse seriously at a national level.</p> <p>Thank you to our team, and to the Attorneys-General for listening.</p> <p>Lived experience shaping history: <a href="https://t.co/KxJvd9zLyf">pic.twitter.com/KxJvd9zLyf</a></p> <p>— Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1558619419643117569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Its implementation will be supported by a multi-jurisdictional Working Group comprised of justice officials.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Dreyfus revealed that for the Work Plan to progress, his department and The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is working on a national review and comparative analysis of sexual assault and child abuse legislation around the country. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The review will identify the impact of any substantive inconsistencies between legal frameworks, any gaps in criminalised conduct and explore best practice approaches.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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“Healing from grief is an inside job”: Why Ashley Judd found and met with her abuser

<p dir="ltr">Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault, rape and child sexual abuse (CSA).</p> <p dir="ltr">Ashley Judd has opened up about the conversation she had with the man who raped her more than two decades ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Double Jeopardy </em>star spoke about confronting the man who assaulted her in 1999 during an appearance on the podcast <em>Healing With David Kessler</em>, telling host David Kessler that they had a “restorative-justice conversation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To make a long story short, we ended up in rocking chairs sitting by a creek together,” Judd said. “And I said, ‘I’m very interested in hearing the story you’ve carried all these years’. And we had a restorative-justice conversation about that.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I wanted to share that story because there are many ways of healing from grief, and it's important to remind listeners that I didn't need anything from him and it was just gravy that he made his amends and expressed his deep remorse because healing from grief is an inside job."</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old added that she didn’t need closure from the man, whose identity is still unknown, or “his cooperation” or “for him to make amends” to continue healing, and that she was just “very interested in hearing” his side of the story.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Because I had the opportunity to do my trauma work, to do my grief work, to do my healing work, to have all these shifts in my own consciousness and to bond in these female coalition spaces with other survivors," Judd said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Recalling the incident, Judd described it as “crazy-making” and “unconscionable”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was very clear, my boundaries were intact. I was already an empowered, adult feminist woman," she recalled. </p> <p dir="ltr">"And that this could happen under these circumstances was unconscionable, unforeseen, and yet I have had a restorative-justice process with this person out of how replete my soul is today."</p> <p dir="ltr">Judd has publicly spoken about being a three-time rape survivor in the past and shared her story for the first time in her 2011 memoir, <em>All That Is Bitter &amp; Sweet</em>, and again in an <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/113226/forget-your-team-your-online-violence-toward-girls-and-women-is-what-can-kiss-my-ass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> she wrote for <em>Mic.com</em>’s ‘Pass the Mic’ series.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I am a survivor of sexual assault, rape and incest," she wrote at the time. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The summer of 1984 was tough for me. I experienced two rapes by an adult and systematic molestation from another adult, who also had another man in the room watching … This January, I read three different things that freshly triggered an additional, very specific memory from age 15 – an attempted oral rape by yet another adult man."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse and need support, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, or contact <a href="https://blueknot.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BlueKnot</a> on 1300 657 380.</em></strong></p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-9fcf9217-7fff-3f43-fab5-e53785cce460"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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“There are different paths to justice”: Former choirboy’s father takes George Pell to court

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article includes mentions of child sexual abuse (CSA).</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The father of a former choirboy allegedly abused by George Pell has launched a civil case against the cardinal and the Catholic Church.</p> <p dir="ltr">After being convicted of abusing two choirboys during his time as archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s, Cardinal Pell was acquitted by the High Court in 2020, having served 13 months in prison before gaining his freedom.</p> <p dir="ltr">The father of one of the victims, who died of a drug overdose in 2014, was told about the alleged abuse by police a year after his son’s death, according to the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/george-pell-father-former-choirboy-civil-action-cardinal-church/101236968" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He has now launched legal action against Cardinal Pell and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in the Supreme Court of Victoria for “damages for nervous shock” that were related to finding out about the allegations, according to the statement of claim lodged in court.</p> <p dir="ltr">The father, who cannot legally be named and has been given the pseudonym RWQ, and his solicitors from Shine Lawyers claim Cardinal Pell and the Archdiocese were negligent.</p> <p dir="ltr">They allege the cardinal is liable for RWQ’s mental injury because it would have been reasonably foreseeable that he would suffer from nervous shock after learning of the alleged abuse, and that the Archdiocese breached a duty of care to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">RWQ is claiming general damages, and special damages, and seeking compensation for “past loss of earning capacity and past and future medical and like expenses”, though the sum he is seeking will only be revealed if the matter goes to trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lisa Flynn, the Chief Legal Officer for Shine Lawyers, said the separate criminal case and High Court proceedings involving the cardinal won’t affect the civil case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The High Court made some decisions in relation to the criminal prosecution against [George] Pell, our case is a civil case against George Pell and the Catholic Archdiocese,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are different paths to justice.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you are in need of support you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380 for support relating to sexual abuse.</em></strong></p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-29894822-7fff-f6d2-d796-7d1247c92283"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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"You opened the door to hell": Epstein victims address Ghislaine Maxwell as she is sentenced

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content Warning: This article discusses Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting and grooming four teenage girls who were sexually abused by her then-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">At her sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court, the 60-year-old showed no emotion as she was sentenced early Wednesday (Australia time).</p> <p dir="ltr">Before learning the sentence, four of the survivors read out victim impact statements, describing the abuse they faced at the hands of Maxwell and Epstein, as well as the long term emotional impacts they have experienced as a result.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For a long time I wanted to erase from my mind the crimes that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell committed against me … but I’ve had to acknowledge the long-lasting effects,” Annie Farmer, the fourth victim to take the stand, said, breaking into tears during her statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the most painful and ongoing impacts of Maxwell and Epstein’s abuse was the loss of trust in myself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sarah Ransome, Elizabeth Stein, and the accuser known as “Kate” also shared their statements, while the attorney for Virginia Giuffre read out her statement in court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Standing up at a Plexiglass-enclosed lectern, Maxwell described Epstein as a “manipulative, cunning and controlling man” who fooled everyone around him and said she was “sorry” for the pain his victims experienced.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is my greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also acknowledge that I have been convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein commit these crimes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And despite the many helpful and positive things I have done in my life and will continue to do … I know that my association with Epstein and this case will permanently stain me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, she attempted to shift the blame onto Epstein, emphasising that he “should have been here before all of you”, echoing arguments her lawyers made that she had been scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is despite her involvement as the person to introduce the victims to Epstein and statements from victims describing her abusing them as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">During sentencing, US Circuit Judge Alisan Nathan said Maxwell didn’t appear to express remorse or take responsibility for her actions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maxwell directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein,” Judge Nathan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The damage done to these young girls was incalculable.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The sentencing comes after Maxwell was convicted of five of six charges laid against her in December 2021, which followed a month-long trial and 40 hours of deliberation by jurors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxwell was convicted of:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">sex trafficking, </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity,</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, and,</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18.</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutors last week called Maxwell’s conduct “shockingly predatory” and said she deserved to spend at least 30 years behind bars, based on their interpretation of sentencing guidelines.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxwell’s lawyers argued that she should be sentenced for no more than five and one-quarter years, due to her being scapegoated and the time she has already spent in prison since her arrest in July 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, her official sentence is far lower than the maximum possible sentence of 55 years that she could have received.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Nathan calculated that the sentencing guidelines called for 15.5 to 19.5 years in prison, but delivered a higher sentence due to the victims’ disturbing testimony and Maxwell’s “direct and repeated participation in a horrific scheme”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Miss Maxwell is not punished in place of Epstein,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Miss Maxwell is being punished for the role that she played.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-10dc5516-7fff-a058-d8cb-bdb75916e583"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Why scenes of sexual violence should be the exception, not the rule

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault and rape.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Portraying traumatic events in films and television shows, whether it is a grisly death or extreme violence, can be difficult to pull off in a way that sends its intended message and doesn’t spark outrage among viewers.</p> <p dir="ltr">With director Del Kathryn Barton’s <em>Blaze </em>confronting audiences during its showing at the 2022 Sydney Film Festival, depicting a graphic rape and murder scene witnessed by 12-year-old titular protagonist Blaze (Julia Savage), questions of when these scenes are needed and whether “very graphic” equals “very impactul” emerge.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Refinery29</em>’s Zahra Campbell-Avenell <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/blaze-2022-del-kathryn-barton-film-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describes</a> being on the verge of tears for the film’s entirety, while <em>Variety</em>’s Peter Debruge <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/blaze-review-1235290438/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> whether Barton has “earned” the use of such a graphic scene, suggesting she treats it “as a device” to make a point about a child losing their innocence and navigating trauma.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a talk after <em>Blaze</em>’s premiere at the festival, Barton said it was important for the scene to be authentic, but being authentic to the realities of witnessing sexual assault doesn’t necessarily mean extreme depictions are needed – especially when the film works to address the issue of femicide and abuse.</p> <p dir="ltr">Representing the issues of sexual assualt, gendered violence and the trauma that follows is important, particularly given that, on average, <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/quick-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one woman is killed by a current or former partner every week in Australia</a>, but the way that we achieve that might not be through depicting the event itself, but what comes after.</p> <p dir="ltr">Amanda Spallaci, an assistant lecturer at the University of Alberta, Canada, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/8/1/8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a> that portraying the event itself, usually in a way that evokes disgust or empathy, might last while audiences are watching the show or film but “fail to shift popular discourses” by neglecting to focus on effects, such as traumatic memory.</p> <p dir="ltr">She argues that making audiences witness these events fails to challenge common ideas about sexual assault and rape, particularly when it comes to the expectation that the truth of a victim’s story relies on their ability to provide coherent accounts and evidence.</p> <p dir="ltr">In reality, evidence is hard to find, witnesses are uncommon, and cases often come down to testimony from the victim and perpetrator – where beliefs that victims who are emotional during their testimony are more credible, <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/ti611_misconceptions_of_sexual_crimes_against_adult_victims.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">false allegations are common</a>, and that their recollections of the event should be detailed, specific and coherent make it even more difficult for victims to be believed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In comparison, Spallaci says that graphic film depictions mean “the viewer knows that the rape occurred not because they believe the survivor’s testimony, but because they bore witness to the event, adhering to the imperative of truth of the traumatic event and its relationship to the iconic veracity of the (rape scene)”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s important to recognise that film and TV shows are shifting towards depicting traumatic events with a focus on memory and what comes afterwards, with <em>I May Destroy You</em> and <em>Sharp Objects </em>being good examples.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both shows rely on flashbacks and characters <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/violence-against-women-on-tv-euphoria-game-of-thrones-unbelievable-cassie-howard-sydney-sweeney-nudity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piecing together</a> what happened to them in fragments, though they still show scenes of sexual assuault as well.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Blaze </em>also deserves praise for its presentation of the struggles that victims (or, in this case, witnesses) face when giving testimony about sexual assault and murder.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also shows that, in the wake of the #MeToo era, changes to how we tackle sexual assault are sinking through, with depictions moving away from the gratuitous scenes used for shock value in <em>Game of Thrones</em>, but that there’s plenty more work to be done to do right by victims.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2bfefe15-7fff-1a93-be6d-f03325d45067"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Former swim coach Dick Caine arrested for alleged historical sexual abuse

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article includes mentions of child sexual abuse (CSA).</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Former swimming coach Dick Caine has been arrested and charged over the sexual abuse of two teenagers he trained in the 1970s.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police arrested the 76-year-old at a home in Condell Park, in Sydney’s south-west, and took him to Bankstown Police Station on Wednesday morning, according to a <a href="https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/news_article?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGMTAxOTgzLmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from NSW Police.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was charged with nine offences relating to the alleged abuse of two teenage students at a swim school in Carss Park, south of Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">After a woman reported to police that she was targeted while she was a student at the swim school, investigators under Strike Force Coco uncovered further allegations of another teenage girl being abused at the same swim school.</p> <p dir="ltr">Acting Superintendent Chris Nicholson said police will allege the victims were aged 16 and 17 at the time of the alleged offences, which he said took place “in a number of locations in and around the southern Sydney area”, per <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dick-caine-former-swim-coach-arrested-on-allegations-sexual-abuse-teenage-female-athletes-in-1970s/c856a380-f722-4513-a4f1-d0fbd326b809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charges laid against Caine include six counts of carnal knowledge by a teacher of a girl aged 0-17, and three counts of indecent assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">Caine has been refused bail and is due to face Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicholson also praised the women who came forward for their “courage and bravery” and shared a message for other survivors.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would like to say to all survivors of sexual abuse living in our community that the NSW Police Force wants to listen to your story,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What today should show is that whether the NSW Police Force receives an allegation of sexual violence that occurred yesterday, or last week, or last year or 50 years ago, that we will investigate all matters that come to our attention with our full potential and we will wrap our full support around victim-survivors as they tell their story.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4a138780-7fff-b32f-558f-302c88a98b3e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TeamCaine.com.au</em></p>

News

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Could the Depp v. Heard case make other abuse survivors too scared to speak up?

<p>Johnny Depp has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-02/verdict-delivered-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/101115246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won his defamation suit</a> against his ex-wife Amber Heard for her Washington Post op-ed article published in 2018, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/01/arts/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict">stated</a> she was a “public figure representing domestic abuse”.</p> <p>The facts in every case are unique, and the jury is always in a better position to judge these facts than commentators relying on media reports.</p> <p>Nevertheless in such a high profile case as this, the verdict has a ripple effect that can go beyond the facts. The unfortunate reality is the Depp Heard case is likely to reinforce the fear that women who come forward with claims of sexual and domestic abuse will encounter a system in which they are unlikely to be believed.</p> <p>Reform is needed to better balance the protection of men’s individual reputations with the rights of women to speak about their experiences.</p> <p><strong>Defamation a tool of elite men</strong></p> <p>Depp was awarded more than US$10 million in damages after convincing the jury Heard was a malicious liar.</p> <p>This is despite the fact a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/06/01/johnny-depp-libel-law-uk-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK judge determined</a> in 2020 that it was “substantially true” Depp had assaulted Heard repeatedly during their relationship.</p> <p>After the verdict, Heard commented she was “heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway” of her famous ex-husband.</p> <p>Historically, the common law of defamation was built to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09612025.2021.1949822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protect public men in their professions and trades</a>. It worked to both defend their reputations individually and shut down speech about them as a group.</p> <p><a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&amp;div=6&amp;g_sent=1&amp;casa_token=fybEy5Ip_goAAAAA:mZwcFssrx7DMteRZh-2VpbadOiPG52vukVjaL_zAG2Rr-r9-GIbN1HpUADIArNrKIooONYOmpoKf&amp;collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data from the United States in the late 20th century</a> shows women comprise only 11% of plaintiffs bringing defamation suits.</p> <p>As legal scholar Diane Borden <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&amp;div=6&amp;id=&amp;page=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has noted</a>, the majority of libel plaintiffs are “men engaged in corporate or public life who boast relatively elite standing in their communities”.</p> <p>Defamation trials – which run according to complex and idiosyncratic rules – are often lengthy and expensive, thus favouring those with the resources to instigate and pursue them.</p> <p>Various defences exist, including arguing that the comments are factually true, or that they were made on occasions of “qualified privilege”, where a person has a duty to communicate information and the recipient has a corresponding interest in receiving it.</p> <p>But in one way or another, disputes concerning allegations of sexual and domestic abuse usually come down to matters of credibility and believability that play on gendered stereotypes.</p> <p>It becomes another version of “he said, she said”, and as we’ve seen from the social media response to Amber Heard, women making these types of allegations are often positioned as vengeful or malicious liars before their cases even reach the courts. This is despite the fact <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/0375553f-0395-46cc-9574-d54c74fa601a/aihw-fdv-5.pdf.aspx?inline=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexual assault</a> and <a href="https://www.safesteps.org.au/understanding-family-violence/who-experiences-family-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intimate partner violence</a> are common, and <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-09/apo-nid107216_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">false reporting</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26679304/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is rare</a>.</p> <p>In fact, most victims don’t tell the police, their employer or others what happened to them due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-90-of-sexual-assault-victims-do-not-go-to-police-this-is-how-we-can-achieve-justice-for-survivors-157601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fears</a> of not being believed, facing professional consequences, or being subject to <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-online-hate-for-amber-heard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shaming and further abuse</a>.</p> <p>Heard has received thousands of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/amber-heard-says-she-receives-death-threats-every-day-over-depp-claims-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death threats</a> and suffered relentless mockery on social media.</p> <p><strong>Time for reform</strong></p> <p>The global #MeToo movement and recent Australian campaigns, such as those instigated by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, encourage survivors to speak out and push collectively for change.</p> <p>But now, ruinous and humiliating defamation suits could further coerce and convince women to keeping their experiences quiet and private. Measures must be taken to better protect public speech on such matters.</p> <p>One potential way forward is for defamation trials involving imputations of gendered abuse to incorporate expert evidence about the nature of sexual and domestic violence in our society.</p> <p>For decades, <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/hwlj19&amp;div=8&amp;g_sent=1&amp;casa_token=&amp;collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feminist legal scholars</a> fought for the inclusion of such evidence in criminal trials, especially those relating to matters of self-defence in domestic homicides and issues of consent in rape proceedings.</p> <p>Expert sociological and psychological evidence can combat and discredit ingrained patriarchal assumptions and myths – comments and questions such as “what was she wearing?”; “why didn’t she fight back?”; “why didn’t she just leave him?”; “why was she nice to him afterwards?” or “why didn’t she tell people at the time?”</p> <p>Otherwise, pervasive gender bias – often held by both men and women, judge and jury – can undermine the voices and accounts of women before they even set foot in court, before they even open their mouths.</p> <p>Defamation trials have not traditionally included such expert evidence. But now that they have become a powerful forum for silencing speech about gendered harm, perhaps it’s time they did so.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-lake-126813" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jessica Lake</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-the-depp-v-heard-case-make-other-abuse-survivors-too-scared-to-speak-up-184324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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