Earlier this week, Coolgardie police posted about a $500 on-the-spot infringement being issued to a woman for shoplifting an item worth $6.75 at a Caltex – in a tweet that has since been deleted.
On Thursday, news emerged over the infringement – revealing that it was issued to a young indigenous woman, and the stolen item was a box of tampons. In another (reply) tweet that has also since been deleted (smdh), Coolgardie Police said the woman did buy food and drink from the service station, but stole the tampons.
Essentials 4 Women SA, an Adelaide-based organisation for disadvantaged women, slammed the ruling online, before launching a crowdfunding campaign to cover the fine.
@CoolgardiePol are you KIDDING? Do you know what it must be like to be so desperate to STEAL a tampon?? Where was the discretion?
— Essentials4WomenSA (@E4WSA) October 15, 2015
@CoolgardiePol that’s the problem though. Women on low/no incomes are finding themselves having to CHOOSE between food or sanitary items.
— Essentials4WomenSA (@E4WSA) October 15, 2015
@CoolgardiePol In any case. I have started raising $ to pay for your lack of discretion. Please advise how best to facilitate the payment.
— Essentials4WomenSA (@E4WSA) October 15, 2015
@Almaz001 @CoolgardiePol It’s appalling is what it is. The indignity of not being able to provide basic hygiene is enough suffering.
— Essentials4WomenSA (@E4WSA) October 15, 2015
The crowdfunding campaign has already drawn the support of over 225 backers, and raised $3800 in little over two days.
“If this woman couldn’t afford the $6.75 for the tampons, how will she be able to pay up $500 (or 73 more packets of over-priced servo tampons) for this incredulous fine?”
While the campaign continues to gain traction online, however, Essentials 4 Women SA say they’re yet to find a way to pay for the fine with the money raised – as the infringement was issued on the spot, there are no court records, and the infringement number—required when making a payment—has not been released.
@NewbyNewbys @_HelenDale @Prufrockery @gabriellecj @PatsKarvelas @Almaz001 @CoolgardiePol we have nothing to go by.
— Essentials4WomenSA (@E4WSA) October 17, 2015
You can show your support for the campaign, and donate over here.
You can tweet to the (now very quiet) Coolgardie Police account over here.
