New Laws
The gang rapes led to the passage of new legislation through the Parliament of New South Wales, dramatically increasing the sentences for gang rapists by creating a new category of crime known as aggravated sexual assault in company.
Also, in the course of one of the trials the defendants refused counsel as they believed that "all lawyers were against Muslims". This led to the contentious prospect of the defendants being able to cross-examine the witnesses- the victims- themselves, a situation that was averted by further legislation being put through the New South Wales parliament.
Actions taken by government ministers, including Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr, who publicly identified the perpetrators' background, led to controversy. Ethnic community group leaders, including Keysar Trad of the Lebanese Muslim Association, complained that Carr was smearing the entire Lebanese Muslim community with the crimes of a few of its members, and that his public comments would stir up ethnic hatred.
The first court case heard under the new sentencing regime concerned the gang rapes of two women by Pakistani and Nepalese immigrants in Ashfield on 28 July 2002.
Read more about this topic: Sydney Gang Rapes
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