Replies

There are all sorts of reactions. Most people in Sydney are hostile to young Australian-born Lebanese men who are known for their criminal activities. As soon as the story of these rapes is told, someone says "those Lebs! Just the other night one of them pulled a knife, I was in the car park ... " Why aren't they locked up for their first offense? Everyone knows that they are drug dealers, why don't the police do something? These are the questions that get asked all the time.

There is widespread outrage at certain reported comments of the rapists - such as "you deserve it because you are Australian." And one of them admitted to the rape but told the police that he didn't know this type of thing was illegal!
But this article is completely off beam in saying that there was an atmosphere of fear in south-western Sydney as a result of these attacks. No there wasn't. The people of these suburbs (the car theft capital of Sydney) are tougher than that. The pubs are full, the young people out on raves, and no one misses a beat. There are scores of fights, rapes and thefts every weekend. The sexual assualt unit at Westmead Hospital can hardly cope with the flood of patients on Friday and Saturday nights. (That is when people have been drinking.)

There is not a universal attitude of sympathy for the victims. Various aspects of their behaviour are called into question, and Australians have a notorious attitude of tolerance for sexual offenses. These Lebanese men are drug dealers, make social contacts on that basis. In that article Miranda Devine is careful to state that the victim was dressed in her best suit, and was taking a train to a job interview. But the evidence before the courts was that a girl and her companion were picked up by their assailants outside Beverley Hills railway station at 1am. Rather late for a job interview. In each case, the perps have not been charged with abduction, only rape. If I could carve a message into every Australian girl's head it would be "Don't accept lifts."