New Gag Law in Victoria (Australia)

[NotYourCisterinAus]

Victoria is debating a bill which will make it illegal to publish the names of deceased sexual assault victims:

www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/letusspeak-new-bill-will-prevent-jill-meagher-eurydice-dixon-from-ever-being-named-again/news-story/bdecd8cb7ecbebcee34b1836527ddea6

Is it just me, or does this law sound like something that will be great for murderers and rapists, and not-so-great for the families of their victims?

I don’t understand the reasoning behind this at all. Even if they are saying it’s to protect the privacy of the victims family it makes no sense whatsoever.

Christ, what is wrong with Australia? Between this thread and the thread about over 40% of young Australian men not accepting that punching or hitting a woman counts as domestic abuse.

Is Australia on an all out campaign to try to establish itself as the most woman hating country in the developed world?

Don't forget Jackson Williams.

@FancyNancyl

Don't forget Jackson Williams.

Just googled.

This is chilling. I wasn't aware there's already a rape gag law in place preventing living rape victims from speaking out. It's clear who will ultimately benefit from this - the state, which can pretend bad things never happen, & the perpetrators.

@HecatesCats

This is chilling. I wasn't aware there's already a rape gag law in place preventing living rape victims from speaking out. It's clear who will ultimately benefit from this - the state, which can pretend bad things never happen, & the perpetrators.

Yes. Cui bono?

Rape conviction stats looking bad? Simple. Make it illegal for women to talk about having been raped, and - job done.

Worried your country looks bad in league tables of violence against women? Again, simple. Make it illegal for anyone to talk about that violence - job's a good 'un.

Someone's noticed there's a real problem with societal attitudes towards violence against women? As above, just stop people talking about it.

I have no idea what the thinking behind this was but I am quite sure the end result is harm to women.

Does this mean, for instance, that tracking cases, eg Karen Ingala Smith "Counting dead women" or the brilliant campaign "We can't consent to this" would effectively become illegal?

You could probably still count dead women, you just couldn't put a face or name to them. Which would turn them into numbers instead of individuals. A rather neat way of making them forgettable I'd say.

What I find particularly galling about this legislation is specifically about a crime which is overwhelmingly committed by men against women. If I were to be murdered in Victoria for any other reason - caught in an armed robbery gone wrong for example - there'd be no problem with publishing my name. Add sexual assault to the mix, and my death gets swept under the carpet.

I'm also a bit puzzled as to how this is meant to operate across jurisdictions. If someone in New South Wales wants to publish the details of a crime committed in Victoria for example...

You could probably still count dead women, you just couldn't put a face or name to them.

But how would you know about them? How could you be sure they hadn't already been counted?

How could any sort of research, campaign or statistical analysis around these crimes be done?

I'm becoming really scared. The way that anti women legislation is being passed across the world is something I never thought to see. In my life I've seen major progress and now this.

I agree Imnobody4

Also, whilst I am appalled at the anti women aspect, this is also scary authoritarianism. It won't stop at women.

Well this is shocking. Sometimes there are just no words.

I was horrified when they passed the law gagging sexual abuse and rape victims. This is just one more step. I know Vic is seen as progressive, but how is this progressive? I’d really like to know the benefits to the victim and their loved ones apart from not having to see the names mentioned in the media.

Does this also apply to foundations set up for building awareness such as Daniel Morcombe? (Yes, I know QLD vs Vic but you get the idea).

winesalot

This is just one more step. I know Vic is seen as progressive, but how is this progressive?

"Progressive" and "inclusive" are increasingly coming to mean anti-women, homophobic, racist and pro-child rape (I.e. pedophilia/"MAP")

It does seem that way PurpleHoodie.

Christ, what is wrong with Australia?

Think of some of the world's best known or trail blazing feminists: Germaine Greer
Carmen Calil

immediately spring to mind. It's not a coincidence that they are originally Australian.

I lived there for a while. The one thing I can say is that at least Australian men are overt and explicit in their sexism & misogyny. In the UK, it's often veiled behind "good manners."