In a huge win for the queer girls, gays, and theys out there, the NSW Government says it will launch a judicial inquiry into gay hate and transgender hate crimes over a 40 year-long period.
Announced this morning, the inquiry will examine gay and trans hate crimes reported between 1970 and 2010 and conclude whether they were appropriately investigated by NSW Police. In a statement shared this morning, Premier Dominic Perrottet said that “these crimes represent one of the darkest times in our recent history” and that today’s announcement of an inquiry was “the first step to address them”.
“They were callous, brutal, and cowardly,” he said.
“As I said in Parliament recently, ‘LGBTI members of our community have suffered grave injustices that were not acceptable in the past and they are not acceptable now. Where there is still work to be done to address these injustices, we will do it.’”
“Justice for the victims, their families, and friends have been slow,” added Special Minister of State Don Harwin.
“Many still carry with them the physical and emotional scars of these vile attacks. The inquiry recommended by the Committee will help to bring some closure for the families and healing to the thousands of others, including myself, who experienced the threat of violence or an actual assault. It’s a simple matter of justice.”
The judicial inquiry follows the recommendation from a Parliament committee report in May by the Legislative Council’s Standing Committee on Social Issues. That report came from an original inquiry that began in 2018 examining the NSW Police Force’s response to up to 88 alleged hate crimes against queer men between 1970 and 2010, hearing testimonies from victims, their families, and legal representatives.
Ultimately, it found that NSW Police had failed in effectively responding to these cases with roughly 23 left unsolved to this day. One of them is Ross Warren, a 25-year-old Wollongong TV newsreader who disappeared after a night out in July 1989. According to the report, despite his friend holding their own search, his body was never found.
Side note: according to the official terms of reference document from that inquiry, Christian Democratic Party member and known homophobe Fred Nile is one of six members of that committee. Given his historic hatred for the LGBTQIA+ community and the harmful things he has said, I find that rather odd???
More details related to the judicial inquiry will be revealed shortly.
