ACON strongly welcomes today’s announcement by the NSW Government to strengthen hate crime laws for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Over recent years, the LGBTQ community has been experiencing a rising level of hate. We are especially concerned by robberies and violent attacks against gay and bisexual men who have been lured into unsafe situations through social media apps,” said ACON CEO Michael Woodhouse.
“Effective police work, focused on the safety of victims, helps reduce violence. The new tools created by this legislation should improve community safety by giving police additional ways to hold perpetrators of hate crimes to account.”
“While this legislation is welcome, the violence experienced by our communities demands a comprehensive response. We also need to find ways to increase reporting, better support victims of hate crimes and expand evidence-based programs to divert people expressing hate away from acts of violence.
Over recent years, ACON has worked with NSW Police to warn people in our communities about the risk of violence and to improve police responses to hate crimes.
“While most online interactions are positive and safe, we also recommend that people be aware of their safety by taking practical steps like telling a friend where you are going, doing a video chat before meeting and meeting somewhere where others around,” Woodhouse said. “Trust your instincts and leave the situation if something feels wrong or unsafe.
“If people have been victims of hate crimes, reporting to police helps. If you need support to make a report, ask for a GLLO (Gender Diverse and LGBTQI Liaison Officer). You can also make anonymous reports through Crime Stoppers,” Woodhouse said.
New legislation will expand ‘post and boast’ offences to cover serious assaults and robberies. The legislation will also create a new offence directed at offenders who lure victims on false pretences only to offend against them, including via dating apps. Penalties for publicly threatening or inciting violence on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity will also be increased. An aggravated version of this offence will also be created and result in a maximum of seven years’ imprisonment.
“ACON looks forward to continuing to work with the NSW Government to deliver the holistic response to violence our community needs. We are also looking forward to working with the government on the response to the Justice Sackar’s review of s93ZAA of the Crimes Act,” Woodhouse said.
ACON is NSW’s largest community health organisation for people of diverse sexualities and genders. ACON has been running violence prevention services for over 25 years.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
David Alexander
ACON Media and Communications
dalexander@acon.org.au
0428 477 042
