This includes $43.7 billion for the cost of serious and organised criminal activity and $16.4 billion in prevention and response costs.
Illicit drug activity cost Australia up to $16.5 billion.
Since 2013–14, the estimated cost of serious and organised crime in Australia has increased by 70 percent.

Read: Estimating the costs of serious and organised crime in Australia, 2020–21

Linking Health & Education to prevent and respond to Violence Against Children | Monday 11 April

This event seeks to : (i) highlight the role of the health sector in preventing and responding to violence against children, in and through schools, which is an important opportunity to put into practice the multi-sectoral approach to violence prevention as well as the humanitarian-development nexus.

(ii) Promote dialogue, information sharing and reflection between health and education in emergencies communities and beyond.

When: Monday, April 11 2022 | 9:30 - 11:00 AM EST | 15:30 - 17:00 PM CET

Where: onlineà registration link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CVytGAkZRuiP5jgCAwDFhw

+ at the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies’ beautiful office which is next to the CICG (rue de Varembé 7).

Department of the Social Determinants of Health

Division of UHC/Healthier Population

Geneva, Switzerland

Web: www.who.int

Follow WHO on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Webinar: The Future of Stop and Search: Assessing Police Powers and Working to Ensure Proportionality

Thursday, May 12th

In the year ending March 2021, the number of stop and searches conducted by police rose by 24%, to just under 700,000. Of these stops, the proportion resulting in an arrest fell from 13% to 11%. The data also displays significant disparities in the use of stop and search, as statistics show that black people were seven times more likely to be stopped than their white counterparts in this period. According to Home Office data, males aged 15-34 from a BAME background accounted for 32% of stop and search, despite only comprising 2.6% of the population, the highest rate being BAME males aged 15-19, who were searched at a rate of 208 per 1000 people.

Despite recent rises in number, police forces have broadly reduced their use of stop and search over the last ten years. This came as a result of reforms to police guidance brought in between 2013 and 2016, following concerns that police were overusing these powers and conducting poorly targeted searches and encouraging forces to ensure that their use of such powers was based on ‘robust intelligence and information’. However, the approach taken by the current Government marks a clear change from this period, particularly in light of efforts to tackle rising levels of knife crime. In July 2021, as a part of the Government’s levelling up agenda, the Home Office released their ‘Beating Crime Plan’, introducing new measures aimed at driving down crime and tackling the underlying causes of repeat offending. This plan permanently relaxes conditions on the use of section 60 stop and search powers, with the goal of empowering police to take more knives off the streets and prevent serious violence. Section 60 orders allow stop and searches to be carried out in the absence of ‘reasonable grounds’ and as such are highly controversial.

This move has been heavily criticised by many for promoting powers which unfairly target those from ethnic minorities, causing black and minority ethnic communities to be disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of stop and search. Additionally, many continue to question both the lawfulness and effectiveness of searches. In 2020, a review conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that the legitimacy of stop and search was undermined by a number of key issues, including a lack of understanding about the impact of disproportionality, poor communication and consistent use of force instead of seeking cooperation. Many have also argued that a reliance on stop and search powers displays a failure to understand the value of community engagement in crime prevention efforts, suggesting that efforts to tackle issues such as gang crime require legitimate policing, in which officers work with communities to build trust.

This symposium will give policy makers, local authorities, police forces, charities and other interest groups the opportunity to analyse the mounting challenges associated with stop and search and to discuss best practice in promoting accountability, building trust with communities and tackling discrimination in all searches.

Programme

Develop strategies to ensure stop and search operations are conducted lawfully and effectively
Scrutinise the recent relaxation of stop and search guidance, particularly with regard to the extension of section 60 orders
Raise awareness of the impact of unlawful stop and search on individuals and communities
Address the value of community engagement in policing and discuss methods to build trust and ensure legitimacy
Explore strategies to eliminate racial bias from stop and search and ensure proportionality in the use of these powers
Discuss methods to improve accountability and transparency in the use of stop and search powers, including the use of body cameras
Examine issues around the growing rate of knife crime and how stop and search plays a role in tackling this surge
Formulate strategies to improve understanding within police forces of the impact of stop and search and the potential for better communication
Consider the recommendations made by the IOPC and discuss the potential for future reforms

To register for the briefing, please click here.

Public Policy Exchange

Estonia: ISPCAN Congress

The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) congress focuses on the mental health of children, sexual and other abuse, intimate partner violence, the protection of children in closed institutions, the protection of children whose parents are in prison or have addiction problems, cross-border co-operation, and the use of digital services. The congress will take place in Tallinn between 13 and 16 June 2022.

Main speakers and registration

Finland: online event on hate crimes and restorative justice

The objective of the transnational event is to share information on different practices of restorative justice and alternative sanctions, and to discuss a more effective way of tackling hate speech and hate crime. The event is part of the Osaavat project funded under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship program of the European Commission. The online event will take place on 10 May 2022 between 10 – 15.30 EET.

Programme and registration

EMCDDA webinar: Workplaces and drugs – issues and challenges for the future 28 April 2022 h.12-13.30 (Lisbon time)

A conversation with:

William Cockburn Interim Executive Director EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Spain;

Annick Starren Project Manager at EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Spain;

Johanne Korsdal Sørensen, researcher, School of Culture and Society - Department of Anthropology – Aarhus University, Denmark

Chair: Inés Hassellberg; Alessandra Bo, EMCDDA

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_idz-sHOQRZGKYA8ImBl-tQ

128.Apr..2022 12:00 PM in London

Webinar: Tackling Image-Based Sexual Abuse: Supporting Victims and Working to Improve Criminal Justice Responses

Tuesday, May 10th 2022

Key Speakers Include:

Chris Tuck, Member of The Victims and Survivors' Consultative Panel at IICSA

Rebecca Hitchen, Head of Policy and Campaigns at End Violence against Women

Elena Michael, Co-founder of #NotYourPorn

Cordelia Tucker O'Sullivan, Head of External Affairs and Policy at Advance Charity

David McClenaghan, Head of Abuse Claims at Bolt Burdon Kemp

Folami Prehaye, Founder of Victims of Image Crime

According to Refuge’s recent report, ‘The Naked Threat’, 1 in 14 adults have experienced threats to share intimate images in England and Wales, rising to 1 in 7 among young women. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a surge in incidents of image-based abuse, with the revenge porn helpline reporting its busiest year on record in 2020. This was particularly evident in the first lockdown, as the helpline saw cases almost double in April 2020 in comparison to the same month in 2019, increasing from 122 to 242. Refuge’s research has also found that 83% of women who experienced such threats from a current or former partner have also experienced other forms of abuse, situating image-based abuse within the broader context of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

In 2015, ‘revenge pornography’, the disclosure of private sexual photographs and films without consent and with intent to cause distress, was made a criminal offence under section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. The Government also set up the Revenge Porn Helpline in February 2015, funded by the Home Office, with the aim of supporting victims. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021, amended section 33 so as to include threats to disclose images without consent, with the intention to cause distress. The Law Commission is currently undertaking a review of the existing criminal law as it relates to taking, making and sharing intimate images without consent, provisionally proposing that four offences be established. This would include a base offence prohibiting the taking or sharing of intimate images without consent, sharing with the intention to humiliate, alarm or distress the person, or for sexual gratification, and finally an offence of threatening to share such images.

However, many have called for more to be done to protect victims of image-based abuse. Campaign group #NotYourPorn have warned against a narrow view of such abuse, raising awareness of instances of ‘revenge porn’ in which the intent is not to cause distress, but rather is done without the intention of the survivor ever finding out. As such, there have been calls for more to be done to target the rise of ‘collector culture’, in which intimate images of women are posted, collated and traded. Additionally, End Violence Against Women have called upon the government to give greater attention to the online abuse of women and girls in the upcoming Online Safety Bill, asking that the issue be explicitly named in legislation and that social media platforms be required to take action in this area. Refuge have also warned against legislation that requires proof of intent with regard to the sharing of intimate images, due to the varied and overlapping nature of such motivations and the difficulty of proving this in court.

This symposium will provide an invaluable opportunity for key stakeholders to review existing legislation and discuss further ways to tackle and deter image based sexual abuse. Delegates will also explore methods to raise awareness of the harms of such abuse and develop strategies to support survivors.

Programme

Understand and tackle links between image-based sexual abuse and other forms of domestic abuse
Assess the impact of Covid-19 on incidences of image-based sexual abuse and explore strategies to mitigate these effects
Address anonymity-related issues and ensure victims are able to identify and report crimes easily
Analyse existing legislation surrounding image-based sexual abuse and discuss opportunities for further legislative reform
Examine measures to strengthen the response of law enforcement agencies and raise awareness of revenge porn within the police
Understand how to support victims of revenge porn, provide legal advice, and streamline access to counselling services
Scrutinise the role for social media companies and internet service providers in developing robust measures to accelerate the removal revenge porn
Investigate the responsibility of media groups in sensitively reporting on revenge porn cases
Discuss ways schools can engage with young people to promote respect, strengthen understanding of consent, and outline the risks associated with sharing intimate material
Discuss parental awareness of online risks, equipping guardians with the knowledge, skills and confidence to exercise control and protect children online
Share examples of effective partnership working between local authorities, police, schools and community groups in developing innovative safeguarding solutions

To register for this briefing, please click here.