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Herald Sun
an hour ago
- Herald Sun
Victoria's racial vilification laws under fire as anti-Semitism soars
Victoria's Office of Public Prosecutions has not approved a single charge under the state's racial vilification laws amid soaring multicultural tensions and the worst spike in anti-Semitism Victoria has ever seen. The state's legal defence against bigots who racially or religiously vilify an individual or group has been labelled a 'catastrophic failure' after attempts by police to charge potential offenders were thwarted by the state's Director of Public Prosecutions. The Herald Sun can reveal the DPP has rejected potential charges proposed by Victoria Police under the laws over six incidents since Hamas' barbaric October 7 massacre in Israel – followed by Israel's deadly bombardment of Gaza – sparked a cultural and religious firestorm. The charges are understood to be related to the Jewish community and other multicultural communities. The Office of Public Prosecutions said another five requests for criminal charges were still being investigated. It comes as racial and religious tensions reach boiling point once again. Among the cases still being considered is a shocking neo-Nazi protest which occurred on the steps of parliament on December 20 last year – seven months ago. The black-clad white nationalists who chanted 'the Jews must go' and held up a sign reading 'Jews hate freedom' are yet to face charges. Victoria Police confirmed that they had referred charges under the act to the OPP. The group responsible, the Nationalist Socialist Network, has since gone on to stage multiple offensive protests, including one at Northland in which they promoted a racial slur towards African-Australians. Jewish community advocate Menachem Vorchheimer said the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act – which has been in place for more than two decades – was 'inoperable'. 'This is a catastrophic failure,' he said. Under the rarely used legislation, police are forced to seek approval from the DPP in order to press charges against a someone they believe has incited or encouraged hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against an individual or group because of their race and/or religion. Following a last minute deal with the Greens, under the state's new anti-vilification or hate speech laws — which comes into play next month — police will also have to seek approval from the DPP in order to lay charges. The extra hurdle for police has raised concerns that the upcoming laws, regularly spruiked by the state government as the answer to the anti-Semitism crisis and rising extremism, has raised fears relevant charges may take months or be blocked altogether. Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin said failing to lay charges meant potential offenders were given the green light to continue their offensive behaviour. 'An important aspect of the justice system is deterrence, but when no arrests are made for months and months that deterrence is eroded and individuals act with impunity,' she said. 'No one wants to see racist radicals roaming the streets and terrorising local communities.' Victoria Police's Operation Park, launched in response to increasing acts of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, has led to 149 arrests, with some dealt prison sentences. A police spokesman said the force regularly seeks advice from the Office of Public Prosecutions in relation to potential charges under the Act. He said a number of active matters, understood to be for lower level offences, were before the courts. A spokesman for the Director of Public Prosecutions said evidence from police, including all relevant statements, footage, interviews and other evidence obtained, can take several months to collate and hand to the OPP. 'Once the evidence has been collated and provided to the OPP, a careful assessment of the prospects of conviction for the RRTA charge can be undertaken,' she said. Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said police being blocked from taken swift action was a 'fundamental failure of Labor's so-called hate crime laws'. 'At a time when anti‑Semitic and racial hate has surged, police are doing their job with one arm tied behind their back,' he said. A Victorian Government spokesperson said charges were a matter for Victoria Police and the OPP. She said the new anti vilification laws included tougher penalties, including up to five years imprisonment, which would act as a deterrent. 'This hateful, extremist behaviour and the cowards who push it have no place here in Victoria,' she said.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Is Australia becoming a more violent country?
Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed robbers, or shoppers simply going about their business are confronted by knife-wielding thugs. The way media and politicians talk, it seems as if we are in the middle of an unprecedented violent crime crisis. But are we? The short answer is: no. Comparing today with the past Although the numbers fluctuate from year to year, Australia is less violent today than in previous years. It is difficult to make direct comparisons over decades, because the way crimes are defined and recorded changes (especially for assault). For crimes like domestic violence, the statistics are extremely hard to compare over time but even so, prevalence appears to have declined (although only about half of all women who experience physical and/or sexual violence from their partners seek advice or support). However, if we consider homicide and robbery (which have been categorised much the same way over time), the numbers have been falling for decades. Yes, knives and bladed weapons have been in the news recently, but this does not mean they are being used more often. Reliable, long-term statistics are not always available but the ones we have show the use of weapons has declined over time. Interestingly, this seems to have nothing to do with the weapons themselves. For instance, armed robbery and unarmed robbery both rise and fall in about the same way, at about the same time. Homicide follows a similar pattern. Not all crimes are reported to police but self-reported statistics show the same trends. Relative to ten years ago, Australians now are less likely to say they have experienced physical or threatened face-to-face assault in the previous 12 months. Places with greater socioeconomic disadvantage typically experience more violence. In Queensland, for instance, Mt Isa has higher violent crime rates than affluent areas of Brisbane. Despite differences between places, there is generally less violence than there used to be. Why is violence declining? Nobody knows quite why violence is decreasing. This is not just happening in Australia but across many developed nations. Suggestions include better social welfare, strong economies, improved education, low unemployment, women's rights and stable governance. Also, new avenues have opened up that carry less risk than violent crime – such as cyberfraud instead of robbing a bank. There is no clear, compelling explanation. Yet when we consider Australia's responses when violence does occur, measures such as bans (for example, on machetes), more police powers and more (or longer) prison sentences have become the fallback. Evidence shows these types of reactions achieve little, but in an environment of endless 'crisis' it is almost impossible to make good decisions. This is made even harder in circumstances where victims and activists push politicians to implement 'feel-good' policies, regardless of how ultimately fruitless those will be. Who are the people being violent? One thing remains the same: violent crime is primarily committed by younger men (who are also likely to be victims). Ethnicity and migration are also recurrent themes. Just as young Italians with switchblades were the focus of moral panic in the 1950s and 60s, migrants from places such as Africa and the Middle East are now held up as a danger. Ethnicity/migration history data is not always recorded in crime statistics, but the information we do have suggests a more complex picture. Factors such as exposure to warfare and civil strife can certainly play a role in people's use of violence. However, unemployment, poverty, poor education and involvement with drugs and/or gangs tend to play a much larger part. Reactions versus reality If society is less violent, why are public reactions to violence seemingly becoming more intense? Incidents that would have received little attention a decade ago now dominate public debate and single incidents – no matter how rare or isolated – are enough to provoke sweeping legislative and policy changes. Violence is political currency. The more the spectre of violence is emphasised and exaggerated, the more power people are willing to give to authorities to do something to fix it. This is also about psychology: the better things get, the more sensitive people tend to be to whatever ills remain and resilience can crumble when something bad does happen. Pandering to this by rushing to make people feel safer – while politically irresistible – has unintended consequences. When another incident occurs, as it always does, people feel even more vulnerable because they were led to believe the problem had been 'fixed'. This creates a never-ending cycle of superficial responses while underlying issues are ignored. We cannot legislate or politicise our way out of violence. The best responses are ones that identify and address actual root causes and look at the circumstances that surround violence – rather than fixating on the violence itself. This means moving away from emotional reactions and taking a clear look at why violence occurs in the first place. Until this happens, any further reductions in violence are more likely to be good luck than good management.
9 News
11 hours ago
- 9 News
Detectives re-open double murder cold case after 25 years
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here It's a cold case that has been brought back into the spotlight. South Australia 's major crime detectives are re-visiting the murder of Rosemary Brown and her daughter Melissa Trussell in 2000. Tonight, a former police diver exclusively told 9News of his role in the investigation, while supporting this fresh search for answers. South Australia's major crime detectives are re-visiting the murder of Rosemary Brown and her daughter Melissa Trussell in 2000. (9News) Peter Menz spent over three decades below the surface, helping solve some of the state's biggest murder cases. But, it's this unsolved one from 25 years ago at Garden Island that he'll never forget. "It was a request from Port Vixen 10, to assist with a body badly decomposed, female," Menz recalled. The retired police diver was among those first on scene and tasked with retrieving the body of Brown from the Mangroves in 2000. The mother and her 15-year-old daughter, Trussell, had been missing for weeks. "We went in there and there was other police officers there as well, forensics and... crime scene, I should say," he said. Former police diver Peter Menz exclusively told 9News of his role in the investigation, while supporting this fresh search for answers. (9News) The retired police diver was among those first on scene and tasked with retrieving the body of Brown from the Mangroves in 2000. (9News) A crime scene was immediately set up, with Menz hoping they'd locate the missing teenager too but she has never been found. "We were there for a while, we had a bit of look around but because it was dark we couldn't do a proper search that night because of the lighting," he recalled. In the past month, major crime detectives have re-visited the cold case and conducted a number of searches around Garden Island. Authorities are hoping to finally find Trussell's remains and those responsible for the murder of the mother and daughter. Authorities are hoping to finally find Trussell's remains and those responsible for the murder of the mother and daughter. (9News) Menz said at the time they carried out a thorough search at Garden Island but 25 years on, technology and tactics have changed and he welcomes the recent searches. "I think it's very good, because we would all like to see closure, for the family especially," he said. He's now waiting, along with many others, for a breakthrough. "Obviously they have got some good information and hopefully this case will be solved." South Australia cold case police national Australia Adelaide crime CONTACT US Auto news: Why Australians are still driving around without insurance.
