Media coverage
Can you help us push the message out and keep the conversation for legislative change going?
Do you have a contact in the media who you could introduce us to?
Karen speaks publicly about her experiences, and the experiences of her clients, engaging with the justice system as a victim of sexual assault.
Media contact
Annalise Brown
annalise.brown@violetco.com.au
0408 986 702
Violet Co Legal & Consulting
office@violetco.com.au
1300 VIOLET (1300 846 538)
Press release 29 August 2023
Embargoed
Press release 8 March 2023
As we reflect on International Women’s Day, attention should be squarely focused on the basic expectation for female victims of violent crimes. In Australia 1 in 3 women will be victims of domestic abuse, 1 in 5 will experience sexual violence. Only 10% of those experiencing these serious crimes, will report them. When they do report, the mishandling by Police is widespread.
Media coverage
In-depth investigation
The Guardian Australia - ‘Unspeakable trauma’: police in Queensland and NSW failed to investigate alleged gang rape of 14-year-old girl, records show (4 Oct 2022)
Most recent
2GB Radio - “Changing Culture on Domestic Violence” with Mike Jeffreys (29 April 2024) https://www.2gb.com/podcast/changing-culture-on-domestic-violence/
All coverage - date order
Sydney Morning Herald and The Age - “What is rape ‘in contemporary Australia’? A judge’s words may change the conversation” by Wendy Tuohy (21 April 2024) https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-is-rape-in-contemporary-australia-a-judge-s-words-may-change-the-conversation-20240416-p5fk9w.html
Yahoo!News - Rape survivor ignored by police delivers urgent message 20 years on - https://au.news.yahoo.com/rape-survivor-ignored-police-delivers-urgent-message-20-years-on-064209322.html (08 March 2024)
Mamamia - 'For 20 years, I've tried to get police to investigate my sexual assaults. I'm still waiting for justice.' - https://www.mamamia.com.au/sexual-violence/ (06 March 2024)
ABC - Experts call for a justice system overhaul to better support victim-survivors of sexual assault - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/nsw-sexual-assault-justice-reform-calls/102754678 (29 August 2023)
Women’s Agenda - First Nations women who have blazed a trail & those who are keeping the flame alight NAIDOC Week feature and focus on the campaign - click the link to the full article and profile piece (13 July 2023)
9Honey - Workplace's cruel act after Karen reported sexual harassment: 'Nothing happens' (4 July 2023)
Illawarra Mercury - Police and our justice system have got to pass the pub test and quickly Opinion Piece by Karen Iles (20 May 2023)
Change Makers Podcast - Karen Iles – ChangeMaker Chat – Police & Sexual Assault (14 March 2023)
IndigenousX - No Investigation and No Justice: An interview with solicitor Karen Iles’ on her police accountability campaign (14 March 2023)
Sydney Opera House All About Women Festival - The War on Women - Rent on Demand (12 March 2023)
news.com - “Teen’s Gold Coast gang rape by Aussie surfers ignored by police” (8 March 2023) also appeared in the Daily Telegraph
The Project - Full episode and interview clip (8 March 2023)
The Daily Mail (UK) - “Brave woman reveals the horror she suffered after being 'gang raped' by 15 members of a notorious surf gang when she was just 14 - and how her desperate pleas for justice went ignored by police” (8 March 2023)
NY Breaking (USA) - “Karen Iles: Brave Woman Who Was ‘Gang Raped’ By Notorious Surf Gang Reveals How Police Failed Her” (8 March 2023) also appeared in News Times UK
MamaMia - “Reporting sexual assault is hard enough. Then there’s another layer of complexity” (26 February 2023)
MamaMia - “For 18 years, I've been trying to get police to investigate my sexual assaults. I'm still waiting” (21 November 2022)
A Current Affair - “Woman's fight for justice decades after alleged rape” (17 Oct 2022)
ABC Radio National Speaking Out hosted by Professor Larissa Behrendt - “The path to Justice: police accountability and systemic reform” (16 Oct 2022)
The Chaser Report - “An Unacceptable Cop-Out” (11 Oct 2022)
Women’s Agenda - “Karen Iles’ campaign for law reform to compel police to investigate sexual assault” (11 Oct 2022)
ABC 7.30 (TV and print) - “Sexual assault support services struggling to cope with record demand” (18 May 2022)
Examples of other cases - police failure to investigate
1. [Name withheld] Victorian case - sexual assault and domestic violence - failure of police to keep victim safe - leaking information to perpetrator - IBAC report
Survivor of police-perpetrated family violence failed by Victorian corruption watchdog, report finds - ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-11/report-reveals-police-ibac-failed-family-violence-survivor/101521332
‘Devastating’ outcomes for woman abused by police officer husband after Ibac failures, report finds | Victoria | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/11/devastating-outcomes-for-woman-abused-by-police-officer-husband-after-ibac-failures-report-finds
IBAC’s referral and oversight of Emma’s complaints about Victoria police’s response to family violence by a police officer - October 2022 | Victorian Inspectorate https://www.vicinspectorate.vic.gov.au/ibacs-referral-and-oversight-emmas-complaints-about-victoria-polices-response-family-violence
2. [Name withheld] QLD case - aggravated sexual assault QLD - failure of police to investigate - destruction of evidence
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-09/queensland-police-reveal-destroying-evidence/10962494
3. [Names withheld] Multiple victim/survivors of sexual assaults and domestic violence - QLD police destruction of evidence
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/17/queensland-police-accused-investigation-rape
4. Mona Smith (16) and Jacinta ‘Cindy’ Smith (15) - Aboriginal girls - death near Bourke - sexual assaults - police failings to investigate
https://casefilepodcast.com/case-152-cindy-mona-lisa-smith/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-29/bourke-coronial-inquest-resumes-after-34-years/101266506
5. Mark Anthony Haines (17) - Aboriginal boy - death and police investigation.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/truecrime/blood-on-the-tracks-ep1/9772318
6. Scott Johnson and dozens and dozens of other murders and bashings of gay men in Sydney - police involvement - police culture - failure to investigate
https://www.sbs.com.au/gayhatedecades/
https://www.9now.com.au/under-investigation/season-4/episode-2
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/20/nsw-police-records-bordering-on-shambolic-after-of-acdc-manager-inquiry-told
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-61303012
https://www.mamamia.com.au/scott-johnson-murder-case/
7. Sandrine Jourdan - disappearance / murder (2012) - failings in police response
https://www.mamamia.com.au/sandrine-jourdan/
8. Lynette Daley - sexual assault and murder - Aboriginal woman - failings of justice system
https://www.mamamia.com.au/lynette-daley/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-09/callous-disregard-promo/7388056
9. Stacey Thorne - murder of Aboriginal woman - police investigation and compromised evidence
https://www.mamamia.com.au/who-killed-stacey-thorne/
10. Tina Greer - coroner criticised police failings to investigate - failure to interview partner who was known to police (domestic violence) https://www.mamamia.com.au/tina-greer-murder/
11. Lynette Dawson - domestic violence - death - (lack of adequate) police investigation stalled justice