Campaign pushes for tougher sentences for one-punch cowards
Billboards with the words “keep your fists down and walk away” have been plastered across the city in a push to stamp out one-punch deaths after several high-profile cases of sickening assaults and fights.
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A campaign to curb street violence is calling for tougher sentences for cowardly offenders.
The push to stamp out one-punch deaths has been rebooted after several high-profile cases of sickening assaults and fights in the stands at AFL matches.
Billboards with the words ‘keep your fists down and walk away’ have been plastered across the city timing in with the footy finals and lead-up to the Spring Racing Carnival.
The anti-violence message has been led by Caterina Politi, whose son David Cassai died after being punched in the head in Rye on New Year’s Eve in 2012.
Ms Politi met with Attorney-General Jill Hennessy on Wednesday morning to raise concerns about the rate of senseless violence.
She said a key part of the discussion with the Attorney-General was on prevention and deterrence, with serious consequences needed for street brawlers and people who throw coward punches.
“We need to make sure perpetrators are punished accordingly,” she said.
“We want to make sure that if the laws are in place that they’re used and they don’t let victims down.”
In 2014, the government introduced mandatory 10-year sentences for manslaughter where the death was a result of a coward punch.
Ms Politi said that law, and the mandatory sentencing for offenders who assault emergency service workers, needed to be tightened.
“We’ve got to make sure the laws are watertight and there are no escape clauses.”
The mandatory sentencing laws have come under greater scrutiny after paramedic basher James Haberfield avoided jail. The Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd QC confirmed on Tuesday that sentence was being appealed against.
Ms Politi said she hoped greater focus on the trauma assaults caused for victims and their families would prompt wider social change.
“Sadly, we have seen similar incidents repeated time and again,” she said.
“We still grapple with the consequences of the night (that David died) and we only hope no family ever has to go through the same.”
The latest “Stop. One Punch Can Kill” campaign was scheduled for spring, when more people began to go out drinking.
“As the weather warms up we want to make sure that people heading to the footy finals or
racing carnivals and end of school events, understand that all it takes is one stupid decision,” Ms Politi said.
“I want people to have a great time going out with your mates, but don’t make the worst decision of your life. It’s not worth it, it’s not worth destroying your life.”
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The key was to stop, think, and walk away from any conflict, she said.
A State Government spokesman said they had asked the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice on the coward punch manslaughter law.
The response was waiting on the outcome of a possible appeal by Joseph Esmaili, who was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ jail over the death of Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann at Box Hill hospital in May 2017.