The existence of sadomasochistic sexual practices has puzzled, shocked and fascinated legal and forensic scholars for decades. Ever since the German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing introduced the terms “Sadism” and “Masochism”‘ into medical terminology in the late 19th century, this ‘deviant’ sexual interest has led to a flurry of critical
What would do the most to reduce illicit drug-related deaths in Australia? Decriminalisation of currently illicit drugs It is near universally accepted within the alcohol and drug sector that criminalisation of currently illicit drugs is a major barrier to harm reduction interventions and health management of drug-related issues. Which of
It has been a decade since the US National Research Council produced a damning report on the state of forensic science in the US (and by extension the international community). As such, it is worth asking: has forensic science improved? The report made a myriad of findings in regard to the forensic
It was 2:30am and Mary Ann Nichols was working late on a narrow road in London’s East End. An hour later her body was found. The road was White Chapel Road. Mary’s job? Selling sex. She is the first documented victim of Jack the Ripper. It is unknown why the
Much has been written about the overrepresentation of Sudanese communities within Victorian crime statistics, but not a lot has been written about why that may be the case. For the record: individuals born in Sudan and South Sudan committed 1.1 per cent of offences in Victoria in 2017/18, despite the
Despite widespread talk about ‘African gangs’ and ‘crime waves’ – violence in Australia is a relatively rare phenomena. Conflict is a fact of life, yet we do a pretty good job in keeping homicide, assault and sexual offences to a minimum. Nevertheless, there are some evidence-based solutions that can assist
Increasingly, the expansion of police powers is becoming the norm in Australia with procedural protections and civil liberties tossed aside as inconvenient obstacles to criminal prosecution. This week the Andrews government announced plans to remove the need for consent or court approval when taking DNA samples from suspects of serious
Earlier this week Mark Meechan, a 30 year old YouTuber in the UK, was fined £800 following his conviction under s127 of the Communications Act 2003. The Act provides a criminal offence for sending “by means of a public electronic communications network a message that is grossly offensive or of
On last night’s Q&A program both Alan Tudge MP and Herald Sun editor Andrew Rule seemed to insinuate that home invasions were on the rise in Victoria. Let’s look at the statistics. There is no offence category under Victorian Crime Stats for ‘home invasions’. However, the number of recorded criminal
Jarryd Bartle is not your usual policy consultant. With a unique background in criminal law, academia and public health Jarryd brings a practical, evidence-based responses to vice markets and crime. He has provided advice to the Australian sex industry, government agencies, criminal law firms and not-for-profits, offering an experienced harm
