Threats to kill, maim, injure and rape high-profile politicians and public figures hit record high
The number of threats and abusive letters against public figures has grown so much that the AFP has had to change the way it tackles the crime.
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Threats to kill, maim, injure and rape high-profile politicians and public figures have tripled in the past year according to shocking new figures.
Police have revealed the number of threats and abusive letters have skyrocketed to 2000, the highest number ever recorded, sparking the establishment of a new national Threat Letter Database.
The rise in the frequency of the threats has led to a string of investigations around the country and charges have been laid against five people in three states in just the past few months. At least another seven investigations are still underway.
Most recently a Sydney woman has been charged with launching a cyber attack after allegedly sending more than 32,000 emails in one day effectively shutting down a Federal MP’s office. The volume of the emails crippled operating systems at the electorate office.
Another NSW man was charged in March with two offences for allegedly sending 18 harassing and menacing emails threatening to seriously harm Federal parliamentarians.
The Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw, has revealed almost three-quarters of the threatening letters targeted varying members of parliament, government employees, foreign embassies, and diplomats.
Mr Kershaw said the database had been set up in response to the rise in the numbers of threats being made.
“The database has provided key evidentiary value that has enabled charges being laid,” Mr Kershaw told Senate Estimates.
Among those known to have been targeted in recent years are the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former Homes Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce former minister Alan Tudge, Federal Greens leader Adam Bandt and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Queensland MP Andrew Wallace, former Greens member now independent Lidia Thorpe, Nationals MP David Little Proud, Senator Pauline Hanson, former Senator Kristina Keneally.
In some of the most horrific cases which have been made public, it was revealed the now Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s wife’s received photo shopped pictures of Mr Dutton being killed as well as threats naming their children.
Senator Lidia Thorpe has in the past been threatened with death and gang rape. And Alan Tudge received threats to harm his teenage daughters.
Outgoing West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has revealed that during the pandemic numerous threats were made against him and his family including a package containing white powder being sent to his wife and a person driving an armoured car with fake machine guns to his electorate office.
The threats against Mr McGowan were dealt with by West Australian police.
The Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil said this week when talking about online abuse “a lot of these people are just total cowards who just want to, you know, say their violent comments and not be held accountable.
“We do real get real, violent threats on ourselves, on our kids, and that part of things is really scary.”
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described online abuse directed at him as ‘horrific.’
Nationals MP Darren Chester has previously called for a review of security arrangements for Australian MPs and their families and staff after attacks on politicians overseas.
Two people have been charged over alleged online threats against the former Labor deputy Senate leader, Kristina Keneally.
A Melbourne man has been charged after he allegedly made death threats towards One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on social media.
A disability pensioner sent an email to a federal MP Andrew Wallace threatening to go on “an anti-racist killing spree” to remove “leftist low-life scum”.
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Originally published as Threats to kill, maim, injure and rape high-profile politicians and public figures hit record high
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