Footy great David Pocock is applauded for exposing the dangerous double standard Aussie women have to live with while they exercise
Footy legend turned federal MP David Pocock has drawn praise for highlighting a big problem with the advice police gave to women joggers in the wake of two horrible incidents in Canberra lately.
The former Wallabies star posted a video to TikTok in which he reacted to officers telling women to 'stay vigilant' on Canberra running trails after a female jogger was allegedly assaulted by a teenage boy last Friday, soon after another woman was allegedly grabbed from behind by a man before breaking free.
'We do remind people that they do need to stay vigilant and our advice is to simply just keep your phone with you if you can,' ACT Policing Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Brown said afterwards.
Pocock, 37, filmed himself hitting back at that advice while out on a bushwalk in Canberra.
'This is one for all the blokes out there,' he began.
'I'm interested, when you're running, what are you thinking about?
Wallabies rugby great turned federal MP David Pocock (pictured) has won praise for highlighting how unsafe Aussie women feel while jogging
'Are you listening out, trying to work out what bird's calling, or are you a fellow Queenslander, filthy about State of Origin?
'I don't know, are you thinking about the Roman Empire, maybe?
'One of the things I think you're probably not thinking about is getting sexually assaulted.
'And I think it's such bulls**t that we live in a country where so many are worried about that, are thinking about that when they're out for a run or a walk.
'We've got to do better. I don't know how we solve this but I know as men, one thing we can do is actually talk to our mates about it, talk to someone this weekend about what's created the kind of culture where we have so many women not only fearful, but actually getting assaulted when they're out running.'
His words resonated with both men and women.
'Thank you for being an excellent role model. A husband, a dad, an athlete and an advocate for women and men. We need more of you, especially in positions of power,' one commenter wrote.
'There's not a moment we don't think about it. It's exhausting,' another added.
'It's bulls**t that my daughters can't go for a jog with both headphones in and being able to tune out coz they have to be on guard. Thanks for speaking out. It's a genuine thing that men need to talk about,' a third said.
'I'm in Canberra I cut my last run short because a man started following me I haven't been running since. The exercise bike sucks but what else are we supposed to do?' wrote another.
Several viewers hailed Pocock with simple messages like 'thank you', 'great video mate' and 'bless you for this'.
ACT Police said the teen who allegedly attacked the woman is accused of choking her and striking her to the head as well as stealing her phone.
Detective Acting Superintendent Brown said the woman kept running after the alleged assault until she encountered another woman, who called Triple Zero.
The woman was taken to Canberra Hospital and treated for minor injuries, and police said they arrested a boy shortly afterwards.
The boy was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, act of indecency without consent, robbery and choke a person and render insensible.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Police in England and Wales identify 287 child sexual exploitation cases for review
Police forces in England and Wales have identified a further 287 outstanding cases of alleged child sexual exploitation by rape gangs, Yvette Cooper has disclosed. The home secretary said the government was also planning to wipe the convictions of grooming victims prosecuted over soliciting for prostitution, following concerns that children had been criminalised by the authorities. The disclosures were made on Tuesday before a hearing of the home affairs select committee, where she also: Indicated that the government would legislate for a 'fast track' system to speed up the removal of people applying for asylum from 'safe' countries. Called for the creation of a digital service for e-visas and border control so that the government could monitor who was in the UK legally. Voiced concern over the rising numbers of teenage extremism offences. Asked by MPs about grooming gangs, Cooper said she ordered all of the 43 police forces in England and Wales to review files to see if there were outstanding cases which should be reviewed. About half of the forces had reported back, she said. 'For those forces, 287 historic cases have been identified for review by the police child sexual exploitation taskforce,' she said. The government is considering a 'disregard' scheme for convictions of people who were under 18 when convicted of loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution, Cooper said. The criminal law changed so under-18s can no longer be convicted of those offences. Those changes were made in recognition that these people were not 'child prostitutes' but had been groomed and sexually exploited. 'We need to look at the action we need to take so that people do not carry around those criminal convictions for the rest of their lives,' she said. Her comments follows a campaign for 'Sammy's law' – led by Sammy Woodhouse, who was abused by a gang in Rotherham – which has been supported by a number of police chiefs, child protection experts and MPs. In a further development which will concern human rights organisations, Cooper said the Home Office was pushing for a 'digital ID for everyone coming to the UK'. 'We want to have a digital service linked to e-visas and linked to our border management process to be able to determine whether an individual is in or out of the UK, whether they have left at the point at which their visa expires or whether they are overstaying and immigration enforcement action is needed,' she said. Asked about the government's counter-extremism programme Prevent, Cooper said she was 'very concerned' by evidence of increasing extremism among young people. 'We are seeing the counter-terrorism caseload trebling in three years involving teenagers. This may be about far-right extremism, far-right extremism and violent extremism,' she said. The home secretary said there had also been a doubling of the number of young people being referred to Prevent since last summer. 'I continue to be concerned about the threshold ending up being too high and not enough Islamist extremist cases being referred to Prevent and the need to do more to make sure more of those cases were being referred to Prevent,' she said.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
HSA launch investigation into death of businessman in freak accident
The Health and Safety Authority has launched an investigation into a freak accident which claimed the life of the chief executive of the Irish branch of Insurance firm Lloyds. The businessman has been named locally as 58-year-old Eamonn Egan. Mr Egan, was also a former amateur jockey, and also hunted with Ward Union. Advertisement The accident occurred close to his home in Maynooth, Co Kildare, on Monday morning when a tractor loader fell. Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to the accident. Mr Egan was pronounced dead a short time later. A post mortem examination is due to be carried out on Mr Egan's remains in due course. Ireland Captain of MV Matthew carrying 2.2 tonnes of cocai... Read More In a statement the Health and Safety Authority said they are 'aware of the incident' and have 'launched an investigation'. A friend of Mr Egan's who did not wish to be named said they were in 'shock at the news of his death. He was in great form when I met him over the weekend. He would help out anyone he could. A really lovely and kind man.' The Coroner's office has been notified which is normal protocol in such cases. Mr Egan is survived by a daughter and son who are in their late 20s.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Swimming world body will banish participants in pro-doping Enhanced Games
Swimmers, coaches and officials who compete in or support a controversial new sports event allowing performance-enhancing drugs will be barred from elite competition, World Aquatics announced on Tuesday. The move targets the Enhanced Games, a privately funded, Olympics-style event set to debut in Las Vegas next May, which explicitly permits – and encourages – the use of substances banned under global anti-doping rules. Athletes will not be drug-tested and may follow personalized pharmaceutical regimens, provided they disclose their use to organizers. World Aquatics said anyone who 'supports, endorses, or participates in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods' will be ineligible for the organization's events. This includes athletes, coaches, administrators, and medical personnel. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' said Husain al-Musallam, the organization's president. The Enhanced Games, slated for 21–24 May 2026 in Las Vegas, will feature sprinting, swimming and weightlifting. Organizers have promised prize money of up to $500,000 per event, including $1m bonuses for breaking world records in the 100m sprint or 50m freestyle. Australian swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist James Magnussen is among a small group of athletes who have publicly signed on. The event's founder, Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, has pitched the Games as a revolutionary platform embracing what he calls 'superhumanity', a future where pharmaceutical and technological enhancement is normalized. Athletes may compete naturally, follow enhancement protocols, or participate in clinical trials using FDA-designated 'Investigational Medicinal Products'. 'We are creating a new category of human excellence,' promotional materials say. 'A world where performance-enhancing drugs are used safely, openly, and under medical supervision.' D'Souza has called anti-doping policy 'outdated and hypocritical', claiming the Enhanced Games offers a safer, more transparent alternative. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from anti-doping bodies and sports federations. 'It's a dangerous clown show, not real sport,' said Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency. The World Anti-Doping Agency warned the project 'jeopardizes athletes' health and well-being' by promoting 'the abuse of powerful substances and methods that should only be prescribed, if at all, for specific therapeutic needs'. Athletes are expected to undergo medical screening and be monitored by independent health and ethics boards. But enforcement appears largely voluntary, a feature organizers describe as part of their 'partnership-first' model. In February, Greek-Bulgarian swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev reportedly swam faster than the world record in the 50m freestyle while on an enhancement protocol. Though organizers touted the result, it came with caveats: Gkolomeev wore a full-body polyurethane suit not approved by World Aquatics, and the swim is not recognized as official. Financial backing for the Games includes support from figures aligned with former U.S. president Donald Trump. A recent investment round was led by 1789 Capital, a firm co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. Other backers include Peter Thiel's Apeiron Investment Group and the hedge fund Karatage. D'Souza has welcomed the association with Trump-linked donors, calling it 'more important than any investment' to have political and cultural backing from prominent American conservatives. World Aquatics' announcement comes amid efforts to clamp down on the Enhanced Games before they gain further traction. No major broadcasters or sponsors have been confirmed, and the pool of committed athletes remains small. Still, organizers say they are pressing forward with plans for a year-round training base and a broader business venture selling personalized enhancement programs to consumers. While the Enhanced Games bills itself as a parallel to the Olympics, critics say it risks undermining global sport entirely. 'The greater risk,' reads an internal Enhanced FAQ, 'is pretending those risks don't exist.' Whether the public embraces or rejects that philosophy may determine if the Enhanced Games are a one-off experiment or a disruptive force in the future of elite competition.
