Reporting Robert Xie’s murder of Brenda Lin’s family
Miriam Cosic
In 2009, her world was torn apart by the murder of her parents, brothers and aunt. Now, following her uncle’s long-awaited conviction, Brenda Lin faces the glare of the media again.
The media’s reporting of gang crime across Melbourne has racial overtones, singling out Sudanese Australians and engendering fear and stereotyping in the community.
Barely two years on from strong government responses to family violence, driven by Rosie Batty, federal funding cuts to front-line services threaten to place more women and children than ever in jeopardy.
Investigation into the cause of Scott Johnson’s death, now in its third inquiry, led NSW police into a re-evaluation of 88 other cases, to consider how many might have been gay-hate killings.
Dennis Nona and moral questions about criminal artists
Martin McKenzie-Murray
The sentencing of artist Dennis Nona for child abuse, and fresh reports of Donald Friend’s paedophilia, raises deeper questions about what we do with the art of fallen heroes.
Senate committee attacks on statutory officers reveal a government prepared to undermine independent institutions and hound advisers out of office when their counsel is politically unwelcome.
As a royal commission probes child protection and detention in the Northern Territory, ongoing issues of alcohol abuse, violence and neglect in Aboriginal families keep delivering new offenders into the system.
Sexual assault victims and a flawed justice system
Jane Gilmore
As a recent Queensland case shows, sexual assault complainants are often further traumatised by brutal questioning in court, made worse by enduring rape myths.
So-called lone wolf attacks make policing terrorism ever more fraught, but recent heroism on a multicultural suburban street shows the community standing together.
Inquest examines infractions of NT domestic violence orders
Kieran Finnane
Prompted by the deaths of two Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory, an inquest has been held to examine ‘extreme domestic violence’ and the seeming inability of the justice system to protect those at risk.
