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https://theconversation.com/us-lgbt-nightclub-shooting-shows-why-australia-must-reform-hate-crime-laws-195191>
"News of yet another deadly shooting at a United States LGBTIQ+ nightclub has
again brought hate crime to the forefront of public conversation.
This shocking incident coincides with an inquiry currently underway in Sydney
examining some 88 suspected murders of LGBTIQ+ people in New South Wales
between 1976 and 2010.
The stark difference between the NSW murders and the Colorado Springs attack is
the suspect in Colorado can be charged and prosecuted under the state’s
bias-motivated crime law amended last year. These crimes are defined as
intimidation, harassment or physical harm that’s motivated at least partly by
bias against a person’s race, religion, nationality, age, disability or sexual
orientation.
As a result, the Colorado Springs suspect is facing five counts of
bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, in addition to murder charges.
But in Australia, the victims and their families would have little such
recourse. This is because the legislative framework for a substantive hate
crime offence doesn’t exist, and this hinders our ability to tackle hate crimes
effectively.
Although Australia doesn’t experience mass shootings at the same horrific rate
as the US, we must not believe we’re immune to hate crime.
The lonely, violent deaths of innocent people detailed in the Sydney inquiry –
as well as the uncountable incidents of daily discrimination, vilifications,
micro-aggressions and abuse that it’s uncovering – are a common fate among
people living with a disability, women, racial and religious minorities, the
homeless and other groups.
Law enforcement investigations into these matters in Australia are often
inadequate."
While this is an important issue, I would argue that prevention is even more
important.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
