Tabloid media invite readers to ‘be the judge’ but when acquainted with all the facts of a case the public actually leans towards lighter sentences than the judges impose.
Herald Sun
There are fault lines in all forms of government. Democracies are as vulnerable as any other to one of them: the charm of the easy and emotionally attractive answer to multi-faceted problems. This is not…
No, I did not get a manicure before coming here today.
Polygraph Shutterstock
As society becomes more and more dependent on machines to make important decisions, the use of technology for lie detection is becoming increasingly popular. But as much as we would like to rely on technology…
Why did the Baden-Clay domestic homicide case in Queensland grab so much media and public attention?
AAP/Dan Peled
When Brisbane man Gerard Baden-Clay rang police to report his wife Allison missing on April 20, 2012, he set in motion a series of events that would lead to his arrest, trial and ultimately his conviction…
Victims of crime may feel offenders get off too lightly, but being represented at sentencing isn’t necessarily the solution.
AAP/Dan Peled
The South Australian Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, Michael O’Connell, recently called for victims of crime to have their own lawyers at the time that criminal defendants are sentenced. O’Connell’s…
In preparing for the World Cup, Brazilian police have embarked on a process of cleaning up the country’s poorest neighbourhoods, known as favelas.
EPA/Antonio Lacerda
Brazil is famous for many things: samba, football and beaches, but also its favelas, the poor neighbourhoods that encircle its cities. These areas are often on invaded lands in middle and upper-class neighbourhoods…
Gangsta rappers are experts in micro-economics. Their particular specialism being the micro-economics of crime, an expertise gained, apparently, through a thorough knowledge of street corners. Such experience…
A recent study by researchers at Cardiff University claimed that the number of people who attended hospital for injuries caused by violence has fallen by 12% in the past year. But to what extent can the…
Good urban planning and support services can make a life-and-death difference to victims of family violence.
Denizo71/Shutterstock
Three shocking incidents, in which three children and one adult died, have dominated the news in Melbourne in the past two months. On Easter Sunday, Indiana and Savannah Mihayo were murdered in their grandparents…
Chemical castration isn’t the answer to keeping children safe from sexual offenders.
l i g h t p o e t/Shutterstock
The use of “chemical castration” has been seen by many as an answer to the public fear of paedophiles, reignited by the recent trial of Brett Cowan for the murder of Daniel Morcombe. The idea is that giving…
IWhile the murders of Sophie Collombet and others have given prominence to the issue of violence against tourists, it is still statistically rare for a international visitor to Australia to become a murder victim.
AAP/Dan Peled
The murder of French student Sophie Collombet in Brisbane in late March has sparked a debate about the safety of travellers in Australia. A man has now been arrested and charged with Collombet’s rape and…
There hasn’t been a radical increase in violent acts on public transport, despite growing public concern.
AAP/Dan Peled
Last month, a video of an elderly man’s alleged assault on a Gold Coast bus went viral on social media after a passenger filmed the confrontation. The incident put the sometimes-ignored issue of violence…
Many guns stolen from rural farm sheds are later used in crimes in the city.
Bamcat/Flickr
Revelations of the theft of firearms from Victorian MP Peter Crisp’s farm draws attention to a genuine but often overlooked link between farm crime and criminal events in urban communities. Discussions…
The Mr Big technique that caught Daniel Morcombe’s killer, and ultimately led to his conviction, deserves credit for solving the long-running investigation.
AAP/Supplied
The 2003 disappearance of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe in Queensland highlighted the difficulties police face when investigating a potential murder with no body and no crime scene. Ultimately, it was the…
The outrage of the parents of Thomas Kelly at the sentence imposed on Kieran Loveridge for the manslaughter of their son helped push the NSW government to revisit its promise to allow victim impact statements to influence sentences.
AAP/Jane Dempster
In the wake of the sentencing of Kieran Loveridge for the manslaughter of Thomas Kelly, the New South Wales government has been busy drafting new sentencing laws. The government is consulting about a proposal…
In the face of rising opposition to its anti-bikie measures, the Queensland government must find a way to cut through the rhetoric with facts and stop inflaming the debate.
AAP/Dan Peled
One fascinating aspect of the Newman government’s “war on bikies” in Queensland has been the battle for the hearts and minds of average citizens. In an attempt to convince the public of the threat – and…
Stalking is an increasing crime trend in the wider community, which is exacerbated by the availability and use of social media.
shutterstock
What do Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Hugh Jackman, Madonna and John Lennon have in common? They have each, at one time or another, been victims of stalking. Local radio host Sophie…
Smash-and-grab: statistics only give us a fractured picture of crime.
raleighwoman
Tim Newburn, London School of Economics and Political Science
The Office for National Statistics released the latest crime statistics last week, and the headline findings are really rather remarkable. Although approximately 8 million offences were recorded by the…
Scrawled or legible, your signature is still important.
Losinpun
Jodi Sita, Australian Catholic University and Avni Pepe, La Trobe University
Have you ever had your credit card stolen and used? Did the thief try to forge your scrawled signature, miniaturised on that impossibly tiny and slippery white line on the back of your card? I once had…