Category: Sexual Assault

It has been reported that a 46-year old man was stabbed in the abdomen and neck during an altercation which ensued when he allegedly confronted a 54-year old man who was attempting to sexually assault a 7-year old girl in a toilet block underneath a dance studio on Railway Road in Kogarah just before 8pm last ...

In the Melbourne County Court last week, Glenn Antony Hartland pleaded guilty to raping three women and indecently assaulting a fourth. His pleas of guilty were followed by an application for bail, which was granted by the court on strict conditions. This means Mr Hartland will be in the community until his sentencing hearing in ...

A Sydney police officer has been arrested and charged with a range of child sex offences, including attempted sexual intercourse with a child under 10, two counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged between the ages of 10 and 14, aggravated indecent assault and grooming a child under the age of 14 for sex. ...

By Zeb Holmes and Ugur Nedim A recent report by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) suggested that workplace sexual harassment is on the rise across the nation. But while the global #metoo movement has encouraged complainants to come forward and report sexual misconduct, journalist Ronan Farrow has criticised Australian defamation laws for discouraging reporting ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim Australia’s Catholic leaders have steadfastly refused to break the seal of confession, regardless of the consequences. Existing laws Section 127 of the New South Wales Evidence Act enables clergy “to refuse to disclose a religious confession made to him or her, unless the confession was made for a criminal ...

Australian actor John Jarrett is best known for his starring role in the film Wolf Creek, in which he plays a serial killer who kidnaps and tortures three backpackers in the outback. The 66-year old was publicly accused in November last year of sexually assaulting a female housemate in 1975, while living with his wife ...

The NSW state government commissioned a review of the laws relating to consent in sexual assault cases in May 2018, following the acquittal of a man accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year old woman in an alleyway behind his father’s Kings Cross nightclub in 2013. The proposal has been met with opposition by the President ...

If you have been a victim of sexual assault, the thought of reporting it to police can be exceptionally traumatic. But it’s important to know that police officers are meant to treat complainants with dignity and respect, and to let accusers lead the process, based on how comfortable they are at any time. Two options ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim 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 legal experts are warning social media users to be ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim 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 will be directed not adhere to the laws because ...