The Darumbal people say Black Gin Creek is a racist way to describe an Aboriginal woman, and Queensland s Longreach Regional Council has finally agreed to change it.
The great divide: the pros and cons of criminalising coercive control Crikey 2 hrs ago
Note: This story discusses domestic violence and infanticide.
Despite decades of advocacy, awareness campaigns, and legal reforms, violence against women in Australia remains high. One in five women in Australia has experienced sexual violence, and on average one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.
There’s been a recent push to criminalise coercive control patterns of abusive behaviours that rob a person of their independence and is sometimes a precursor to more violent behaviour and murder.
But the push has highlighted deep divisions. While many frontline workers and advocates support the new law, many Indigenous experts argue it could give police more power, more reason to penalise victims, and increase incarceration among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.