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ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Queensland hospital given permission by Supreme Court to perform abortion on 12yo girl
A Queensland court has granted permission for a pregnant 12-year-old girl to have a surgical abortion. An unnamed hospital applied to the Supreme Court for orders after being asked to perform a surgical termination for the child, referred to as "E", who was about nine weeks pregnant. In a decision from mid-June, published online on Wednesday, Justice Catherine Muir said the girl wanted to terminate her pregnancy, and her mother was supportive, but under the law, "a parent cannot consent to the termination on behalf" of her. "The hospital seeks orders from the court in its parens patriae jurisdiction to authorise the termination," Justice Muir said. "These orders were sought because hospital staff are concerned the girl lacks capacity to consent to the termination herself. Justice Muir said the pregnancy was "a result of consensual intercourse between E and her 13-year-old boyfriend, who is aware of the pregnancy, and of the desire for the termination". The girl was starting to experience the symptoms of pregnancy and "missing out on school," the judgement said. "She wants to obtain the termination before she begins to show signs of pregnancy, so that her father and her sister are not alerted to her pregnancy," she said. Justice Muir said the "real question" for the court was whether E had reached a "sufficient understanding and intelligence to enable her to understand fully what is proposed". She said the girl gave evidence to the court and "did very well in answering questions". "Although court was closed and these proceedings, ultimately, will be suppressed, it is a daunting thing for adults to come to court and give evidence, let alone for a child to do so. I am satisfied that E did this bravely," Justice Muir said. She noted the girl was able to explain to her what she understood she was doing by choosing to terminate the baby, and also that there were risks with this procedure, including bleeding, risks for future pregnancy, cramping and infection. She said the hospital had "excellent" facilities and support systems in place to support young people such as E. A psychologist assessed E and was satisfied that she was clear that she wanted a termination and that she knew that having a baby would impact her life. An obstetrician and gynaecologist also met with E on two occasions and considered she had a "rudimentary view" of what it meant to terminate a pregnancy "consistent with that of a 12-year-old," the judgement said. The court also heard from a midwife, who gave evidence that the girl required assistance to understand some of the questions put to her about the termination, and believed she did not demonstrate sufficient insight into the operation's risks and benefits. "But this evidence needs to be seen, now, in light of the evidence that E gave before me, where she clearly articulated the risks associated with the surgical intervention," Justice Muir said. The judgement also said that the girl's mother believed her daughter shows "maturity beyond her years" and that she is very aware of her body and how it functions. Justice Muir said the application seemed to "distil down to the concern of the hospital staff about E's understanding of the risks associated with this surgery". "That, I accept, is an understandable concern," Justice Muir said. "But having heard from E in court, I am satisfied that she does sufficiently understand not only what is proposed, that is the surgical termination, but also the risks of having that termination." She said she was satisfied that the child in this case was "competent". "That is, she is competent to consent to undergo the termination of her pregnancy, and she may give valid and lawful consent for such treatment," she said. "I am prepared to make a declaration in those terms". Queensland decriminalised abortion in 2018.
ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Scientists release seven-point plan to tackle SA's 'catastrophic' toxic algal bloom
An independent group of marine scientists from around Australia has released a seven-point plan to tackle what it describes as South Australia's "catastrophic" toxic algal bloom. The Biodiversity Council, an independent group founded by 11 Australian universities, has outlined seven key actions that federal and state governments should consider to "urgently respond" to the bloom, known as Karenia mikimotoi. It includes spending at least $10 million to immediately kick-start scientific research to assess which species are affected by the bloom, how much, and monitor recovery. It has also warned that the algal bloom is not just a South Australian issue, and the impact will be far-reaching amid increasing marine heatwaves across the country. Biodiversity Council member, professor Gretta Pecl from the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, said the washed up marine life on beaches is just a sliver of the animals killed, with most animal bodies "rotting on the sea floor". "The exact death toll would be impossible to determine as monitoring of marine environments and species is fairly lacking in Australia, but we cannot wait to act," she said. The harmful algal bloom has been ravaging marine life throughout the state since March, disrupting fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries and threatening fragile coastal ecosystems. The state and federal governments this week pledged $28 million to assist in dealing with the bloom, but Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt stopped short of declaring it a national disaster. Professor Pecl said the funding was a "fantastic start" but much more would be needed. She said the scale of wildlife deaths is likely to be equivalent to the Black Summer Bushfires and the impact will be felt across borders. "Although the footprint of the harmful algal bloom at the moment looks like it's limited to South Australia, many of those species there have really important connections to the west coast and the east coast. "The damage that's been incurred … will massively exceed the boundaries of the bloom itself." The report said more than 450 marine species had been observed washed up across South Australian coastlines, with over 14,000 observations by citizen scientists. It also said while natural oceanographic conditions played a role, the crisis has also been driven by human activities. Professor Pecl said harmful algal blooms had also been highlighted many times before amid increased ocean warming. "The scale of each harmful algal bloom event seems to be increasing," she said. "If there isn't something done to mitigate, to reduce climate emissions, warming will continue and these kind of events will be more and more likely." The proposed actions for Australian and state governments to respond to the bloom, and Australia's broader marine heatwave are: The report was produced by a team of scientists from five Australian universities including, The University of Adelaide, The University of Tasmania, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, and The University of Western Australia. Biodiversity Council member, professor Nicki Mitchell from the University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute said Australia must prepare for a more "dangerous climate future". "Due to man-made climate change, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters that harm biodiversity, industries and communities will only increase," she said. "This includes not just harmful algal blooms, but also marine and terrestrial heatwaves, floods and bushfires." Professor Ivan Nagelkerken from the University of Adelaide Environment Institute said Adelaide's coast would always be vulnerable to algal blooms. "South Australia's gulfs are particularly vulnerable to algal blooms due to coastal nutrient inputs, warming shallow waters and poor water exchange," he said. "We must collectively do all we can to reduce coastal nutrient inputs and greenhouse gas emissions. "Locally, we can also build the resilience of ecosystems to recover by protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, like kelp forests and seagrass beds, to support bigger fish populations as well as absorb carbon and improve water quality." Mr Watt earlier this week said the federal funding pledged would likely go to cleaning up and research. "There will need to be some further discussions between ourselves and the South Australian government about exactly the details of how that funding is used," he said. "But it's intended to deal with a number of short-term requirements, and some of the longer-term needs that South Australia is going to face as it recovers from this event." He said it would also assist affected businesses, boosting "community awareness" and investing in scientific research. "This is an unprecedented event and one of the difficulties has been understanding exactly what its impacts are and what sort of response is required," he said.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘A sign of trust, not weakness': One thing you need to talk to your partner about today
It's one of the most important relationships — if not the most important — we have in our lives. But one major barrier is holding Australians back from having an equally important conversation with their partner — and it could to be their detriment. Though almost one in two (49 per cent) people speak to their loved one about their mental health at least once a week — and one in five (19 per cent) do so every day, research by News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank found that one in three Australians across all generations don't talk about it at all, out of fear of becoming a burden to their significant other. A further one in four said they were afraid of being misunderstood, dismissed or perceived as weak. Georgia Grace is a certified sex and relationship practitioner, somatic therapist and author based in Sydney. 'We need to get better at treating mental health disclosures as a sign of trust, not weakness,' she said. 'If you want intimacy — emotional, sexual, or otherwise — you have to make space for the imperfect stuff. That's where real connection happens.' Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life. Fear of being a burden or misunderstood aren't the only barriers holding Australians back from confiding in their partner about their mental health, Grace said. Another key driver is fear of losing the relationship itself, 'especially if in the past they have tried to ask for help or express they weren't OK and they were ignored or punished'. Indeed, one in four respondents shared that they were afraid of negative repercussions. 'Shame may also be getting in the way — a lot of people still carry the belief that struggling mentally makes them weak, broken or unlovable,' she said. 'So instead of opening up, they hide it, and that can become its own kind of pain. It might also be the fact that they don't know how to talk about their emotions, or they don't have the language to express what they're feeling. Many of us haven't been given the tools, so it can feel easier to let it go unsaid.' 'Hiding often does the most damage' Linda Williams is a senior psychologist and clinical lead at digital youth mental organisation ReachOut. Given your partner 'is one of the closest people to you, in most cases, they'll be able to tell something is wrong', she said. Of Australians' relationships, an overwhelming 81 per cent of respondents said that the one had the most trust in is the one they share with their partner, followed by close friends (75 per cent), parents (73 per cent) and children (71 per cent). 'It can be hard watching someone you love struggle, and not knowing why or how you can help,' Ms Williams said. 'If you don't open up about your experiences, you risk misunderstandings. They might feel like you don't trust them, which can put strain on your relationship.' Grace agreed. 'Hiding often does the most damage. When you're not talking about what's going on, the relationship starts running on assumptions, silence, and second-guessing,' she said. 'Your partner might start thinking you're pulling away, not interested, or emotionally unavailable when really, you're just trying to survive. That disconnect can create tension, resentment, or emotional shutdown. Believing that you always have to be 'the strong one' and that no one ever helps you can become a self-fulfilling prophecy,' Grace warned. 'If you never ask for help or never share what you're feeling … our partners aren't mind-readers.' 'You don't have to tell them everything at once' There is no 'right' time to disclose a mental health problem you might have with your partner — 'no perfect milestone or script'. But, Grace said, 'sooner is usually better, especially if it's starting to affect how you show up in the relationship'. 'It's probably best not to 'unload' on a first date. Being open about your mental health is important, however, be intentional with what you share, as it can feel really overwhelming for your date if they feel like they need to go into 'therapist mode',' she advised. When you do decide to broach the conversation, it can be helpful to 'think of a few key things you want to share'. 'But you don't need to over-rehearse — you're allowed to be clunky,' Grace said. 'You don't have to tell them everything at once. Start small: (you could say) 'I've been dealing with something lately that I want share with you',' she continued. 'Be clear on what you need from them — is it support, space, or just someone to listen? You also may not know just yet and that's OK, but it'll be important to reflect on this and give them information when you're ready. (And) expect that they might not respond perfectly. That's not a sign to shut down, as they also may not have the right tools. It's a starting point for deeper understanding.' Whether you've been together three months or 30 years, time and place is key to an effective chat. 'Choose a moment when you both have time and aren't distracted, not when you're both racing out the door on the way to work,' Grace said. 'In longer-term relationships, it's also important to discuss mental health before you feel like it's about to explode. If you trust the person and want something real with them, it's worth talking about.' 'You can't pour from an empty cup' As for what to do if you're the one being confided in, 'listen more than you speak', Grace said. 'Don't try to fix it, because you probably can't. Also, your partner isn't a problem that needs to be fixed — they are a person in the process of living,' she added. 'Don't minimise it. Don't jump into problem-solving mode unless they ask for it. Say something like, 'Thanks for telling me. I'm here, even if I don't have the perfect words.' 'And check in again later, not just once. That's how you show someone you're in it with them.' As the listener, Ms Williams noted that 'you might feel powerless to help, and that's OK'. 'But you can help them manage their day-to-day experiences, encourage them to get professional support and help them feel less alone,' she said. 'Looking after yourself is an important part of looking after someone else. You can't pour from an empty cup. Talking to someone you can trust can take some of the pressure off and help you navigate this tough time.'
