Research Brief 22 In 1947 a leading psychiatrist, Dr John McGeorge, told the New South Wales Department of Justice that men who abused children were ‘the most dangerous sex offenders’. These men, he went on to assert, were ‘often in a position of trust, [such as] a schoolteacher or scoutmaster’ (State Records NSW, Report […]
Research Brief 16 In January 1924, an article in Sydney Truth alerted its readers to a spate of crimes against children that had recently appeared before the courts. Sexual offences against three girls and one boy had been committed in various suburbs around the city within a matter of weeks. While the […]
Research Brief 8 For the adversarial trial, the oath symbolizes the ascertainment of truth. Truth is emphasized in the witness swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Historically, the swearing of an oath by a witness at trial had a number of significant implications. Those who were foresworn […]