Can Children Be Placed on The Child Sex Offender Register
Sexual offences against children are considered as some of the most serious criminal offences in our state, creating public outrage and leading to calls for not only heavy punishments, but mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of future offending. That being...
The Shameful History Of Calling LGBT People “Groomers”
A recent trend in conservative politics, particularly online, involves accusing LGBT people of “grooming” children - either into a particular sexual identity or to facilitate abuse. A strange focal point for this politics has been drag queens, female impersonators (often...
Bizarre Australian Criminal Cases: The Simpsons Porn Case
There are many bizarre cases that form part of Australian legal history, but perhaps none more vexing when it comes to balancing the often competing considerations of free speech on the one hand, and protecting the innocent on the other,...
Are ‘Recovered’ Memories of Childhood Abuse Reliable?
In the 1970s, a Canadian woman named Michelle Smith sought psychiatric treatment for depression following a miscarriage. Her psychiatrist, Lawrence Pazder, felt that her symptoms indicated early experiences of child sexual abuse, and he then used hypnosis to help “recover”...
Peter Hollingworth to Face Secret Hearing for Allegedly Enabling Child Sexual Abuse
Former Governor General Peter Hollingworth is facing an internal tribunal hearing held behind closed doors within the Anglican Church - to determine whether he should be defrocked over his alleged role in covering up child sexual abuse within the church. ...
The Criminal Offence of Human Trafficking
Right from under the noses of the British Home Office, hundreds of child refugees, seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, are being abducted and trafficked for all sorts of reasons. The British Home Office has been repeatedly cautioned by a...
Offences Relating to Children Accessing or Being Shown Pornographic Material
Many people assume that once a person reaches the age of consent, they are free to pursue any (lawful) kind of sexual activity they wish, including participating in and/or accessing or being exposed to pornography. However, this is not necessarily...
Pell’s Passing Marks Justice Unserved and Exposes the Power of a Corrupt Church
The 10 January death of George Pell left many with a bad taste in their mouths. A former archbishop of both the Melbourne and Sydney archdioceses, Pell represented to many, the corrupting effect of power and the ability it gives...
The Offence of Sexual Touching of a Child Under the Age of 10 in New South Wales
A man has been charged with 21 criminal offences after multiple alleged sexual offences against children at a shopping centre in the south-west of Sydney. Police say they were called to a shopping centre on Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool at...
The Commonwealth Offence of Using a Carriage Service for Child Abuse Material
Former NRL star Brett Finch, who played professional rugby league for the Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and also represented New South Wales in the State of Origin, has been sentenced to a recognizance release order for sending messages...
