Abuse, threats and harassment of Indigenous Australians has risen ahead of a proposed referendum on “The Voice,” a move to provide First Nations representation in government, according to the Australian eSafety Commissioner. The proportion of complaints about cyber abuse has increased from 5% to 5.6% in the past quarter. The survey also found the leader of the No campaign had been subjected to online racial abuse. Meanwhile, ABC Q&A presenter Stan Grant resigned from the show after dealing with an increase in racism involving he and his family on social media.
A documentary about the acrimonious legal battles between film star Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, will air on UK television network Channel 4 on Sunday. The three-part series, called Depp Vs Heard, was directed by Bafta-nominated filmmaker Emma Cooper, and covers Depp’s unsuccessful 2020 libel case against the publisher of The Sun and a separate defamation trial he initiated against Heard earlier this year. It is billed as the first “in-depth” examination of the case. The related legal battle, which included allegations of domestic violence, was dubbed the world’s first “Tik Tok trial” as it was streamed live and generated widespread public interest. Depp won the later defamation case on 2 June, receiving $15m in damages. Heard also won $2m in damages in a counter-claim.
Actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, who is employed by Japanese entertainment firm Johnny & Associates, has apologised for a sex abuse scandal involving the company's founder and has said whether the agency's name should be reconsidered. Johnny Kitagawa has been accused of sex abuse and child endangerment. Former members of the company have come forward to allege abuse and Higashiyama said he had younger members wait to comment on the issue as he thought he should be the first to talk about it as the oldest active member. Julie Keiko Fujishima, the president of Johnny & Associates, has previously apologised for the allegations.
A LaLiga TV commentator has sparked outrage online by claiming Vinicius Jr "is not an angel" and that he "provokes other teams" after the Real Madrid star was sent off for his reaction to being the victim of racist abuse from the stands during a 1-0 defeat to Valencia on Sunday. While LaLiga TV covered the game, co-commentator Toni Padilla said that while it's important to stand against racism, Vinicius should not be free from blame for the sending off. Padilla's comments have subsequently sparked outrage online, while some Twitter users questioned who will protect Vinicius Junior in Spain against the abuse. The incident has garnered attention in the press and on social media, with the publication of video footage showing Vinicius being subjected to a barrage of racist slurs that were directed at him by the Valencia supporters. As reported on Wednesday, LaLiga faces backlash over its lack of action on repeated racist abuse incidents.
A national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse is to be introduced in England following a recommendation by the seven-year independent inquiry into this form of abuse. Thousands of victims who were “let down by institutions in the past” will be able to claim fixed term compensation paid by the government. The inquiry recommended that applicants to the scheme should have experienced abuse “where there is a clear connection to state or non-state institutions”. It also criticised current civil and criminal compensation schemes for failing to provide adequate accountability and reparation. The government will consult on how the scheme should operate.
Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York turned a blind eye to a doctor’s abuse of patients because of the revenue he generated, according to legal documents filed by 19 former patients of the healthcare facility. They claim that the hospital was aware that Dr Ricardo Cruciani was a serial abuser but failed to notify law enforcement or licensing authorities for over a decade or to alert future employers of Cruciani’s record. Cruciani was a specialist in rare and debilitating syndromes and abused pain patients who were seeking relief by overprescribing powerful painkillers to them. He killed himself at the notorious Rikers Island prison complex in New York last year after being jailed for 12 counts of violent abuse. The alleged abuse was an “open secret” among his colleagues, according to the lawsuit.
