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Herald Sun
5 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Victoria's racial vilification laws under fire as anti-Semitism soars
Victoria's Office of Public Prosecutions has not approved a single charge under the state's racial vilification laws amid soaring multicultural tensions and the worst spike in anti-Semitism Victoria has ever seen. The state's legal defence against bigots who racially or religiously vilify an individual or group has been labelled a 'catastrophic failure' after attempts by police to charge potential offenders were thwarted by the state's Director of Public Prosecutions. The Herald Sun can reveal the DPP has rejected potential charges proposed by Victoria Police under the laws over six incidents since Hamas' barbaric October 7 massacre in Israel – followed by Israel's deadly bombardment of Gaza – sparked a cultural and religious firestorm. The charges are understood to be related to the Jewish community and other multicultural communities. The Office of Public Prosecutions said another five requests for criminal charges were still being investigated. It comes as racial and religious tensions reach boiling point once again. Among the cases still being considered is a shocking neo-Nazi protest which occurred on the steps of parliament on December 20 last year – seven months ago. The black-clad white nationalists who chanted 'the Jews must go' and held up a sign reading 'Jews hate freedom' are yet to face charges. Victoria Police confirmed that they had referred charges under the act to the OPP. The group responsible, the Nationalist Socialist Network, has since gone on to stage multiple offensive protests, including one at Northland in which they promoted a racial slur towards African-Australians. Jewish community advocate Menachem Vorchheimer said the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act – which has been in place for more than two decades – was 'inoperable'. 'This is a catastrophic failure,' he said. Under the rarely used legislation, police are forced to seek approval from the DPP in order to press charges against a someone they believe has incited or encouraged hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against an individual or group because of their race and/or religion. Following a last minute deal with the Greens, under the state's new anti-vilification or hate speech laws — which comes into play next month — police will also have to seek approval from the DPP in order to lay charges. The extra hurdle for police has raised concerns that the upcoming laws, regularly spruiked by the state government as the answer to the anti-Semitism crisis and rising extremism, has raised fears relevant charges may take months or be blocked altogether. Jewish Community Council of Victoria chief executive Naomi Levin said failing to lay charges meant potential offenders were given the green light to continue their offensive behaviour. 'An important aspect of the justice system is deterrence, but when no arrests are made for months and months that deterrence is eroded and individuals act with impunity,' she said. 'No one wants to see racist radicals roaming the streets and terrorising local communities.' Victoria Police's Operation Park, launched in response to increasing acts of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, has led to 149 arrests, with some dealt prison sentences. A police spokesman said the force regularly seeks advice from the Office of Public Prosecutions in relation to potential charges under the Act. He said a number of active matters, understood to be for lower level offences, were before the courts. A spokesman for the Director of Public Prosecutions said evidence from police, including all relevant statements, footage, interviews and other evidence obtained, can take several months to collate and hand to the OPP. 'Once the evidence has been collated and provided to the OPP, a careful assessment of the prospects of conviction for the RRTA charge can be undertaken,' she said. Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said police being blocked from taken swift action was a 'fundamental failure of Labor's so-called hate crime laws'. 'At a time when anti‑Semitic and racial hate has surged, police are doing their job with one arm tied behind their back,' he said. A Victorian Government spokesperson said charges were a matter for Victoria Police and the OPP. She said the new anti vilification laws included tougher penalties, including up to five years imprisonment, which would act as a deterrent. 'This hateful, extremist behaviour and the cowards who push it have no place here in Victoria,' she said.
Courier-Mail
6 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Bombshell book claims Jeffrey Epstein called Prince Andrew a ‘serial sex addict'
Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News. Prince Andrew has been branded a 'serial sex addict' in a bombshell new book — with Jeffrey Epstein reportedly claiming the Duke of York was even kinkier than him. The shocking allegations appear in 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York', which the British royal reportedly tried to block, The Sun reports. According to the Daily Mail, late pedophile financier Epstein is quoted in the book as saying: 'We are both serial sex addicts. 'From the reports I've got back from the women we've shared, he's the most perverted animal in the bedroom. 'He likes to engage in stuff that's even kinky to me – and I'm the king of kink!' The explosive revelations come alongside fresh allegations about Andrew's conduct on royal tours. Never miss the latest entertainment news from Australia and around the world — download the app direct to your phone. Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor, England. Picture: Steve Parsons / AFP. A Reuters correspondent reported that, during the King of Thailand's diamond jubilee celebrations in 2006, more than 40 women were taken to Andrew's Bangkok hotel room. 'Often, as soon as one left, another would arrive,' the reporter said. Hotel staff were reportedly stunned that 'more than 10 a day' were going to the Duke's suite. The exposé portrays the 64-year-old royal as a man consumed by sex, with claims from an investigative journalist that he has bedded over a thousand women, ranging from porn stars and actresses to palace staff and bartenders. One 20-year-old model, who says she twice slept with Andrew before being whisked to Mustique, recalled: 'He wanted me to engage in kinky sexual activity. 'He had no boundaries. He told me he had an open marriage arrangement with his wife. 'After returning to London, I never heard from him again. I felt like he used me for a few days, so he could live his wildest fantasies.' Jeffrey Epstein poses for a sex offender mugshot after being charged with procuring a minor for prostitution on July 25, 2013 in Florida. Picture: Getty Images. Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, in Sandringham, Norfolk, in the east of England, on December 25, 2012. Picture: AFP. Masseuse Emma Gruenbaum, who worked on him at Royal Lodge, alleged Andrew was a 'constant sex pest,' insisting on being naked for massages and making crude remarks. 'That's just not normal behaviour for a professional sports therapy session,' she said. The book also recounts disturbing tales from palace insiders. One former staff member claimed: 'When I started, I was warned to stay away from him. 'He would sometimes enter the staff quarters. 'It seemed everyone was aware of his behaviour, but little was done about it.' From his 'Randy Andy' schoolboy reputation to being accused of bullying aides and humiliating women at society events, Andrew is painted as both sex-obsessed and arrogant. Aides alleged he once had an employee moved because of a mole on his face, while another was sidelined for wearing a nylon tie. The York family reportedly tried to block the book, warning contacts not to co-operate and enlisting the Foreign Office to discourage diplomats from speaking. Despite legal threats, the exposé has gone to print — leaving Andrew once again at the centre of a scandal. Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. Picture: Getty Images. It comes as a top lawyer warned that Andrew may not be in the clear despite the FBI dropping its probe into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Spencer Kuvin, who has represented five of Epstein's alleged victims, said the Duke of York, 65, still has reason to worry after six years of avoiding travel abroad for fear of arrest. 'I still don't think Andrew can sleep soundly,' Mr Kuvin said. 'With the quick change of administration or new leadership at the Department of Justice, the investigation could be reopened or continued. 'Andrew needs to visit the US to answer questions from the FBI. Avoiding this merely makes people think he's guilty.' Andrew has always denied claims by Virginia Giuffre that he abused her when she was 17, insisting he never saw or suspected Epstein's crimes. Giuffre died in Australia in April at the age of 41. There is no statute of limitations for federal sex crimes in the US, meaning allegations could be revived at any time. Andrew has not set foot in America since meeting Epstein in New York in 2010. This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission Originally published as Bombshell book claims Jeffrey Epstein called Prince Andrew a 'serial sex addict'
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Elderly man charged with murder after woman's stabbing
An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
