Australia introduces prison for hate crimes in anti -Semitism

Australia introduces prison for hate crimes in anti -Semitism

New legal regulations against hate crimes

The laws adopted on Thursday significantly tighten the punishments for hate crimes. Working people have to expect at least six-year prison terms for terrorist offenses, while less serious hate crimes such as the public Nazi greeting are punished with at least 12-month prison terms.

creation of new criminal offenses

Legislation also introduces new crimes that are directed against threats of violence or coercion towards certain groups or people. This refers to aspects such as sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion or ethnicity.

background of the changes in the law

The changes were proposed for the first time last year by the laboratory government by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in the course of an increase in anti -Semitic attacks and the demands for harder punishments for perpetrators.

Criticism of the introduction of compulsory terms

Originally, the draft law did not include a binding minimum penalty, which Albanese had previously vehemently rejected. This week, however, the government steered after it was sharply criticized by Albanese's political opponents that he was not doing enough against anti -Semitism.

reactions from the legal scene

The Law Council of Australia expressed extremely disappointed with the introduction of mandatory minimum penalties. The Council emphasized that such laws were arbitrary and restricted the right to a fair procedure by banning judges to impose a fair punishment based on the unique circumstances of each individual case. The President of the Council, Juliana Warner, explained this in a statement.

unrest within the Jewish community

Many of the 117,000 members of the Jewish community of Australia express great concern after a number of anti -Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. These include arson attacks on a

threat to the Jewish community

at the end of January the authorities announced that a possible " mass attack "with the discovery of one to have thwarted with explosive trailers in the northwest of Sydney, whereby there were “some indications” that this should be directed against destinations in the Jewish community.

Investigations and demands for more measures

Although state and federal investigators are assigned special taskforces to make arrests, Jewish leaders have increasingly required measures from government officials. The authorities examine more than a dozen "serious allegations" in the context of over 166 reports of anti -Semitic attacks that have been received since mid -December when the special operation Avalite has been launched to counter the growing anti -Semitism.

future steps of the police

The police not only have the suspects in their sights, but also "foreign actors" who may have paid for their services. These comprehensive investigations are intended to ensure that those responsible for anti -Semitic violence in Australia are held accountable.