[Sweet like a lem...]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/anyone-who-says-...0208-2e2fe.html

So racism is alive and well. We all know that, we know that it sometimes seems exacerbated here but by no means only occurs here. My question is why is nobody ever charged and convicted with inciting racial hatred?

From the article outlining the abuse of a french women on a Melbourne bus last year

In 2010, three men were the first in Victoria charged with inciting racial hatred, accused of verbally and physically assaulting an Indian man on a bus between Frankston and Rye. All three had charges against them dropped last year.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/racist-r...l#ixzz2KHBfcvD0

We also know that the 3 racists on the bus at the time were identified, taken in for questioning and released without charges. Why?
I'm pretty sure there are laws against anti social behaviour so obviously I'm missing something here in a big way.

[Frockme]

It's astounding that this still happens.

The woman sounds like a piece of work. And how dare the driver make him get off! If I was on that bus I would have let rip at the driver. I would have been fuming on this poor mans behalf. This sort of stuff makes me so angry I could vomit, would have been good to vomit on both of them, driver and woman.

What a shame that no one stood up to her for him.

Driver ought to be sacked on the spot. If he can't act like a human being he doesn't deserve a job.

Don't buses have video cameras I would love for this woman's pic to go international!

If identified can she be charged? What with?

[CallMeProtart]

I don't think the bus driver turfed him out, just blamed him for it. Still inappropriate.

My SIL recently got racially abused at Questacon. The bizarre offending lady SAT ON my niece!
When her mother (my SIL) suggested she find somewhere else to sit other than on a 9yo child, the lady started up about going back where she came from, and then pretended she couldn't understand her and told her to learn the language etc etc. Which is ironic as she speaks perfect English with a slight Pretorian twang... and is a teacher

BIL did manage to take a picture of the racist in question and was having fantasies of having posting it on the internet. Unfortunately he didn't actually manage to act fast enough to film the abuse, so I don't think it would have captured much of a youtube audience!

[Sweet like a lem...]

CMP, I'm sorry for your SIL's experience. It really p*sses me off. In many places this behaviour would be a very serious offence. In sporting communities it wouldn't be tolerated, but with everyday people it just slips by and I really want to know why. I also want to know why no bystanders ever stick up for the victims. Are they in silent agreement or just cowards?! Sorry, I'm just over the whole thing. Everyone's reporting on it but nobody is frakkin' doing anything about it.

[flushthetoilet]

He was asked to leave the bus. He refused. Good on him. The woman who started sounds like a hideous piece of work.

I also want to know why no bystanders ever stick up for the victims

A bystander (another passenger) did stick up for him, and was abused as well.

This post has been edited by stopwhiningatme: 08/02/2013, 07:55 PM

[CocobeanLillylov...]

I can't understand why he was asked to leave the bus or why the lady wanted that particular seat?

It's just a disgrace that people have to put up with this crap.

[SqueakyBee]

This makes me so angry! The bus driver should have asked the racist pig to get off the bus, she was abusing a fellow passenger and should have been removed. Telling the victim to move is not a solution!

As for the other passengers, I understand how people can be afraid when someone is being so vile and abusive and not want to bring their vitriol on themselves, but I don't think I could remain quiet. Racism is abbhorrent, I'd never forgive myself for staying quiet.

[flushthetoilet]

She didn't want his seat. He asked the woman's daughter to stop pinching his (2yo) daughter. That's when the woman went apesh*t, and accused him of touching up her daughter. Another passenger spoke up, and he got a serve as well. She sounds like a right piece of work.

He was interviewed earlier, on the Project.

This post has been edited by stopwhiningatme: 08/02/2013, 08:09 PM

[RealityBites]

I witnessed something awful a couple of months ago on our local free bus service. A man (apparently just out of jail, according to the bus driver) started screaming and swearing racial abuse at an Indian-looking man, I am guessing probably an international student as his English wasn't too good (university town) and NOBODY said anything. I let rip at the bus driver and sent numerous letters of complaints. I think the bus driver should have pulled over and called the police, but he said there was no 'policy'.
It made me wish I was a big boofy bloke who could have just taken a swing at the man.

[Sweet like a lem...]

In all the clips I've seen the closest to making a stand was a whole group of men "standing up" to a drunk woman. Seriously that's it. Too paraphrase some American dude - all that is needed for evil to succeed is for good people to stand by and do nothing.
Where is our EB law experts? Why do people routinely get questioned and then released with no charges or get charged only to have the charged dropped? Is it just too much time, effort and money to pursue? We would only need a handful of convictions, jail terms and / or hefty fines to start turning this around. We only need the other 20 people on the bus to assist the abuser off to serve as a deterrent.