The Impact of Social Media on a Fair Trial
Social media can be a source of information and leisure, a way to connect with other people and a means to express views about a range of subjects - including those which invoke emotions such as anger and disgust. But...
NSW Passes Stronger Child Sexual Abuse Laws, But Priests Remain Protected
Late last night, the parliament of NSW passed one of the most comprehensive criminal justice reform packages in state history. The state’s attorney general Mark Speakman introduced the legislation designed to crackdown on child sexual predators into state parliament on...
Catholic Priests Refuse to Report Child Sexual Abuse
South Australian Catholic priests say they will defy a forthcoming state law which will require them to report information received during past or present confessions about child sex abuse. The South Australian Catholic Church has made it clear its members...
Pell to Stand Trial over Child Sexual Assault Allegations
The Melbourne Magistrates Court has committed Cardinal George Pell to stand trial over multiple historical child sexual assault allegations. Magistrate Belinda Wallington found there is enough evidence for Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric to stand trial. However, the court discharged...
‘Naked Bikie’ Granted Bail Over Allegations of Possessing Child Abuse Material
Police have charged one of Australia’s most notorious biker club members with possessing child abuse material, after detectives allegedly found explicit images on his hard drive. It has been reported that 41-year old Erkan Keskin’s computer was seized along with...
Life Imprisonment for Persistent Child Sexual Abuse
In 2015, a range of reforms were introduced by the NSW government in response to community concerns that child sex offenders were being treated far too leniently by the courts, and that the interests of complainants weren’t being protected. These...
Catholic Church: $30 Billion But Won’t Pay Child Sexual Assault Victims
Wealthy, ruthless and immoral: these are some of the words used to describe the Catholic Church during the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Despite its wealth being comparable to some of Australia’s largest corporations, the...
12 Reasons to Choose Sydney Criminal Lawyers®
Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter...
No More ‘Secret Confessions’, Cover Ups or Forced Celibacy
Removing the sanctity of the Catholic confessional and making celibacy voluntary are two of the 409 separate recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, as its final report aims to provide a “safer future...
French Court Finds that Sex with Child Wasn’t Rape
In NSW, it is a crime for a person to have sexual intercourse with another who is under the age of 16-years, or 18 if there is a relationship of ‘special care’. Similar ‘age of consent’ laws apply in countries...
