You might expect an ex-judge and a sex worker to be on opposite sides of the law.
But former High Court judge Michael Kirby has become patron of advocacy group Touching Base, which links sex workers with people with disabilities.
And in his new role, Mr Kirby has spoken out against hypocrisy in laws that can inhibit sexual expression for some people.
Mr Kirby – currently chair of a United Nations special commission into human rights violations in North Korea – will work to break the taboo of disability and sexuality by joining a panel of five inaugural patrons of the Sydney-based organisation.
He applauded the work of Touching Base in “challenging the hypocrisy in society and its laws and recognising the needs of people to have opportunities for sexual expression, including people with disability”.
“If you deny sexual expression to human beings, cut them off from that aspect of their personalitiesand of their happiness, then you end up with a lot of very frustrated and very unhappy people,” he added.
The four other high-profile Australians who have been announced as patrons of the pioneering not-for-profit organisation are respected writer, feminist and activist Eva Cox, Professor Basil Donovan, Associate Professor Helen Meekosha, and Peter Woods, an elder statesman within NSW Local Government.
Ms Cox said Touching Base “recognises the serious skills of sex workers and the full human needs of their clients with disabilities”.
Touching Base is a not-for-profit organisation that works to advocate for and support people with disabilities who want to access the services of a sex worker. It featured in the award-winning documentary Scarlet Road and short film The Gift.
The organisation’s president Saul Isbister said the appointment of the new patrons would “help us further remove the stigma associated with the sexuality of people with disability and reinforce the human rights of sex workers”.
Mr Kirby will give a keynote address at a two-course fundraising lunch to inaugurate the five patrons at The Sebel in Surry Hills, Sydney, on April 10. Sex worker Rachel Wotten, who featured in the documentary Scarlet Road, will also discuss Touching Base’s work, plus there will be a special screening of The Gift. To book tickets, go to http://www.trybooking.com/EHHW.
The former Ironwoman made waves on the beach last week sporting her latest accessory, her pregnant belly
The former Ironwoman made waves on the beach last week sporting her latest accessory, her pregnant belly.
Candice and her partner, Australian cricketer David Warner, confirmed last week that the couple were expecting their first child and announced their engagement.
Calling the bump an “Ashes baby” due to when it was conceived, the pair say they are delighted and are looking forward to starting a family.
Check out our exclusive pictures of surf lifesaver and ironwoman mum-to-be Candice Falzon proudly frolicking on the beach with her baby bump.
The former model has not lost her figure in her first trimester.
David proposed to the blonde beauty after the baby’s 12-week scan.
The sports stars have been together for 10 months.
Candice says she will continue to exercise during her pregnancy.
The couple are looking forward to welcoming their baby in September.
At 41, movie star Cameron Diaz is fit, active, successful and gorgeous. But that hasn’t stopped the star speaking out about ageism and revealing to Oprah that even she has felt like a “failure” for not looking younger than her years.
“Women don’t allow other women to age gracefully,” says Diaz. “And we don’t give ourselves permission to age gracefully.”
The actress turned author was on an OWN TV special about ageing to promote her new book, The Body Book. Cam spoke about society’s “crazy” obsession with youth and the pressure it puts on women to want to defy nature.
“For me I feel like if I – it’s almost as if we have failed if we don’t remain 25 for the rest of our lives. Like we are failures. It’s a personal … failure. Like our fault that at 40 years old that I still don’t look like I’m 25,” Cameron told the talk show queen.
The blonde beauty is one celebrity who seems committed to allowing nature take its course but she’s not the only one. While they may be among the minority, here are 10 stars in Hollywood who have decided go au naturale and not go under the knife.
“Women don’t allow other women to age gracefully,” Cameron Diaz tells Oprah. “And we don’t give ourselves permission to age gracefully.”
While her on screen Sex and the City character Samantha Jones would have jumped at the chance to get a facelift, Kim Cattrall, 57, says she’s choosing to shun surgery. “In my life and career I want to embrace ageing because I think that’s what’s interesting,” says Kim.
Diane Keaton, 68, has been the face of L’Oreal for years yet has said no to plastic surgery and in doing so Keaton has become the poster girl for women gracefully embracing their natural beauty.
British actress Helen Mirren might be 68 but the star is as radiant and beautiful as ever with no signs of surgery.
Veteran actress Meryl Streep, 64, says she’s never favoured looks over talent and opting for surgery in her line of work might have put her out of a job. “I didn’t have any confidence in my beauty when I was young,” she once said. “I felt like a character actress, and I still do.”
Halle Berry looks much younger than her 47 years but that could all be down to the actress’ healthy diet and exercise.
Jane Seymour, 63, has admitted to trying Botox and hating it. Since then the actress has sworn to age gracefully: “I’ve chosen to let my wrinkles express their feelings,” she said. “I play characters that need to have a face that moves!”
Cate Blanchett, 44, might be the face of cosmetics brand SK-II but the Oscar winner says for her, surgery is a no-go; “I’m not sitting on a soapbox telling women what they should and shouldn’t do … I just know what works for me. I’d just be too frightened about what it means long-term.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, 48, says that people are crazy trying to fight the aging process: “It’s like those flowers that wilt in front of you in time-lapse films. But what can I possibly do? Look like a lunatic?”
While some might expect the supermodels of the 90s to age well, Christy Turlington has managed to top the class. The 43-year-old is a huge fan of yoga the years spent taking care of her skin and body have paid off.
Daniel Morcombe, who was murdered by convicted child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan.
As convicted child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan is sentenced to life imprisonment for the sickening murder of 13-year-old Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, we investigate whether paedophilia can ever be cured.
It’s every parent’s unspoken fear: finding out your child has been sexually abused.
Their innocent trust in the world around them shattered. Their small bodies violated. Their lives blighted by sinister early trauma. And you – the one who is supposed to protect them – powerless to make it go away.
For Bruce and Denise Morcombe, it was even worse. Hearing the depraved details of their son’s helpless last moments of life must have been the worst torture imaginable.
They never got the chance to comfort or help their son. And even Brett Peter Cowan’s long-awaited conviction for his abduction and killing can’t take that pain away; it will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Today Cowan was sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crime. Many believe the serial offender, who had assaulted and raped children in the past, is beyond redemption.
His case begs the question: can paedophilia ever be cured? Or is it a life-long condition that may, at best, be managed? And, more importantly, what can be done to keep our children safe?
What causes paedophilia?
Originating from Greek words meaning “child” and “love” (unpalatable as that may sound), paedophilia is classified by the World Health Organisation as a disorder defined by a persistent or predominant preference for sexual activity with pre-pubescent children.
There is, however, much debate among experts over whether it is a medical condition, learned impulse or sexual orientation. Strong clues suggesting people may simply be born that way have emerged in recent years, with research showing paedophiles tend to be shorter, have less white matter (connective tissue) in their brains and are three times more likely to be left-handed than the rest of us.
This doesn’t mean we need to be suspicious of everyone with these traits – but it does indicate that a blueprint for paedophilia may be laid down before birth.
Does being sexually abused as child turn people into paedophiles?
Leading researcher James Cantor, a psychologist and sexual behaviour scientist at the University of Toronto in Canada, believes commonly blamed environmental factors – such as being victims of childhood abuse in the past – are unlikely to cause paedophilia, although they may increase the risk of criminal behaviour generally.
“[Our] findings suggest that, whatever chain of events leads to paedophilia, the first links of that chain are before birth,” he explains. “That is, it could be that biology causes paedophilia, but that environment makes a person more likely to act on that sexual interest and molest a child.”
This may help explain why even though about half of child sex offenders say they were abused as children, including Brett Cowan and another notorious paedophile, Dennis Ferguson, the vast majority of childhood victims do not become perpetrators.
How common is paedophilia in our society?
Paedophiles account for an estimated 1 to 2 per cent of the male population, although controversial research measuring penile response to adult and paedophilic stimuli reports up to one in five men are capable of being aroused by children.
It’s important to note that not all paedophiles act on their impulses. Conversely, not all child sex offenders are paedophiles; some may be opportunistic predators.
Is there a cure?
Although some paedophiles, like the late Dennis Ferguson, claimed to have lost their sexual appetite for children, there is no proven “cure” for paedophilia.
If, as science increasingly suggests, it’s part of a person’s fundamental make-up, it’s unlikely to change. “Paedophilia is a bit like alcoholism,” says Hetty Johnston, founder and executive director of the child protection advocacy group Bravehearts. “You will always be an alcoholic – it’s about whether you will have the self-control.”
Convicted child sex offenders Brett Peter Cowan and Dennis Ferguson
Convicted child sex offenders Brett Peter Cowan and Dennis Ferguson
Convicted child sex offenders Brett Peter Cowan and Dennis Ferguson
What about treatment?
The best approach for treatment, says James Cantor, is “helping people to manage their sexual interests towards children.”
Cognitive behavioural therapy, which involves teaching paedophiles how to avoid individual risks such as befriending single mums or getting involved with schools, is one of the most successful methods, according to Stephen Smallbone, professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Queensland’s Griffith University.
How about castration?
Castration uses surgery or medication to reduce sex drive. This may help, but is supplementary, as it doesn’t necessarily prevent offenders from molesting children and may prevent them resuming healthy sexual relationships with adults.
In any case, it’s difficult to measure the effectiveness of any treatment, James Cantor points out, because they can only be trialled on volunteers, who are probably least likely to re-offend anyway.
How do you stop a paedophile from molesting children?
Unsurprisingly, acting on paedophilic impulses in the first place makes further abuse more likely. “The more someone entertains these kinds of fantasies, the more difficult it is for them to stop,” says Professor Smallbone.
Exacerbating this problem today is easy internet access to child porn and paedophile networks. “We need to give these people as many possibilities to establish normal relationships with people who are well,” says Professor Smallbone, “and limit their association with people who have similar problems.”
There’s the catch: experts say the more integrated paedophiles are into mainstream society, the less risk they pose. Yet once they are known, society tends to force them to the fringes.
“My experience is that paedophiles commit their crimes when they feel most desperate, when they feel they have nothing left to lose,” says James Cantor, who says health systems need to make it easier for paedophiles to seek help.
What can the government do to stop paedophiles acting out their sexual fantasies?
To better protect children, Professor Smallbone says governments need to shift the focus from punishing child sex offenders to prevention. “The system relies on children being abused,” he says. “That’s not good enough.”
He and his team have had success with preventative work, especially with young people in vulnerable communities. Dennis Ferguson’s ex-counsellor Wendell Rosevear advocates a “circle of trust” of support people around paedophiles, enabling them to establish healthy relationships and be accountable.
Vilifying or taking vigilante action against paedophiles, on the other hand, may increase the risk of child sex abuse by forcing them underground.
What are the odds of paedophiles reoffending?
Many would assume it’s inevitable, but the statistics say otherwise. Professor Smallbone says rates are lower than most other crimes. “Probably the biggest study showed 13 to 14 per cent of offenders had reoffended after five years,” he says, while this figure increases over further time.
Yet Hetty Johnston casts doubts on official figures, pointing out that reliable data is impossible to find because of low rates of reporting of abuse, narrow criteria of a repeat offence and perpetrators’ improving ability to avoid detection.
Irrespective, she thinks it’s not a risk worth taking, as the cost is too great. She would know: her own daughter Kayleen was molested by her paternal grandfather.
So what about hardened re-offenders like Brett Cowan?
Some paedophiles, like Brett Cowan, repeatedly re-offend and show no signs of remorse or willingness to rehabilitate themselves.
Controversial legislation first introduced by the Queensland government after Dennis Ferguson was released from jail in 2003 – and since copied by other states – allows ex-inmates deemed still dangerous to be detained indefinitely in special housing where they’re closely monitored.
However, the prospect of rehabilitation in this environment seems unlikely. Similarly to in jail, they will likely mix with other offenders who can encourage or even give them more ideas about sexually abusing children.
Should we be putting more effort into teaching our kids about stranger danger?
As anyone who works in the field knows, Hetty Johnston’s case is more typical than the Morcombes’ ordeal. Up to 95 per cent of victims know their abuser, usually a relative or trusted friend.
Stranger danger has a place but parents would, statistically, be better off keeping a closer eye on what’s going on in their own backyard. Bravehearts also runs an education program teaching children to trust their instincts and leave a situation if they feel unsafe.
Uncomfortable as it may seem, the fact is paedophiles will continue to live among us. For many, it will go no further than a sexual fantasy confined to the mind. But some will inflict the same kind of terror, long-term harm and fatal abuse that Brett Cowan did.
Yet we are not completely helpless. Indeed, how we and our government, lawmakers and educators respond is certain to play an important role in influencing the risk faced by our children now and in the future.
Jodi Gordon and Braith Anasta could not be happier with their tiny trophy.
Jodi Gordon laughs out loud, admitting she felt like she was in a movie when her gorgeous baby daughter decided to ignore the script that doctors had given her and arrive 11 days early.
“It really did feel like I was in a film,” says Jodi, 29. “It was so exciting. It was everything I thought it would be.”
“I had contractions in the middle of the night and we had a mad race to the hospital… and then this adorable little girl arrived, kicking and screaming.”
Jodi is nursing little Aleeia and it’s hard to tell who is more content. This tiny little girl doesn’t want to open her eyes as she nuzzles her famous mum and Jodi looks dazed and so happy to be holding her baby.
See all of the beautiful pictures of Jodi and Braith with their gorgeous daughter, PLUS find out who picked her name in this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, March 17, 2014.
She may be Australia’s most fiery redhead but the politician turned into a big softie when two of her kids married within weeks of each other.
When your mum is Pauline Hanson, it must be daunting preparing to break the news you’re getting married and having a baby.
But Adam Hanson, 33, reveals his mother couldn’t have been more excited to learn she was about to welcome a daughter-in-law and a baby boy into the family.
“She was in a little bit of shock, but in a really good way,” laughs Adam. “She said ‘Wow!’ She was very happy about me becoming a father – and her becoming a grandmother again.”
Pauline insisted that her youngest son and his beautiful wife-to-be Ally, 31, hold their nuptials at her rural property near Ipswich in Queensland.
“We thought it’d be pretty cool to have a family farm wedding,” smiles Adam, whose marriage celebrations took place just a few weeks before his sister Lee wed.
Is Pauline next? Read more in this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, March 17, 2014.
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Related video: Wedding trends with Karen Willis Holmes.
Having a bad day? Turn it into an awesome one instantly, by appreciating the amazing things that happen to us every day. Now’s the time to stop taking these small wins for granted, and start being grateful instead.
This feature is brought to you by the makers of Panadol
Having a bad day? Turn it into an awesome one instantly, by appreciating the amazing little things that happen to us every day. Now’s the time to stop taking these small wins for granted, and start being grateful instead.
When your train pulls up as you approach the platform
Missing the train is sometimes the difference between already being snug in your pajamas before midnight, or waiting in the empty, cold station for another hour after a few post-work wines. There really are few better feelings than hopping straight on a train (or bus), homeward-bound!
An empty supermarket checkout line
Ever traipsed through a crowded Woolies, searching for ingredients in your recipe that don’t seem to exist, only to find a huge long queue at the end of your ordeal? Zipping through the checkout quickly is surely something to be grateful about.
An unexpectedly good meal
Walking into some obscure corner cafe or pub and having the best steak and chips of your life is a win for sure. Perhaps you won’t find a seat next time, or the meal won’t be as tasty, so savor the moment.
Discovering a parking spot right outside your destination
Parking miles away from your destination wearing four-inch heels is enough to put anyone in a bad mood for the evening. So when the parking angels (yes, they exist!) come to your rescue, it’s good times for all.
Finding money, anywhere
It doesn’t matter if it’s a dollar coin in the bus seat or a fiver on the pavement, money is money, and we’ll gladly pocket that, thank you! Ahem, we mean pocket it after doing everything we possibly can to track down the rightful owner, of course.
Getting green lights the whole way
You don’t even have to be running late to enjoy flying through a long run of green traffic lights from start to destination. Multiply this joy by a thousand million when you’re in a cab and on the meter!
The stars came out tonight
This may sound oh-so bohemian, but when you look up into the wild, blue yonder and breathe in a big lungful of clean air, it can make you grateful that you live in Australia where light pollution doesn’t obscure your view of the night sky. Our sweeping canopy of shining stars makes all those New Yorkers and Beijingers green with envy.
Something you went back to buy is now on sale
That feeling when the super-duper Ninja blender you thought about buying all weekend is suddenly half price when you go back? Priceless!
Finding a spare
A spare what? Doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a tire, battery, candle or matches when there’s a blackout, needle and thread or hairpin, finding anything that provides a backup when you need it most is a pretty darn good feeling.
Surprisingly-low electricity bill
It’s always hit-and-miss when it comes to bills, so we can all appreciate a low electricity bill after a particularly dreadful winter or stinking hot summer. Happiness is also getting money from unexpected sources, like a bigger-than anticipated tax refund or inheritance from a long-lost relative.
This feature is brought to you by the makers of Panadol
Tennis ace Roger Federer and his wife Mirka are reportedly preparing to welcome their second set of twins in July.
The Swiss athlete revealed his partner was pregnant with their third child via Twitter in December last year but as it turns out the pair might actually be adding another duo to their quickly growing brood.
Mirka, a former tennis player herself, gave birth to identical twin girls, Myla and Charlene, in 2009 just three months after she and Roger wed.
Mirka Federer watches Roger play with her twin girls, Myla and Charlene.
Roger, who currently ranks eighth in the world, has previously expressed that he holds the superstition that pregnancy brings good luck and said he played well last time Mirka was carrying their twins. So will the dual pregnancy bring any extra luck to Roger’s 2014 season?
After a disappointing 2013 Grand Slam campaign, where the Fed failed to hold up a winner’s trophy, he has started the 2014 season strong. Even though he has dropped two places in the current rankings, his performances so far have showed promise.
So before Mirka gives birth toward the middle of the year perhaps Rodger can get a few big wins in to show the bubs when they’re born.
Brett Peter Cowan has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe.
Justice Roslyn Atkinson handed down the sentence in the Queensland Supreme Court at 1.10pm today. She also sentenced him to three-and-a-half years for indecently dealing with a child and two years for interfering with a corpse, to be served concurrently. Cowan will be eligible for parole in 20 years.
“You were in your own words and opportunistic offender,” Justice Atkinson said. “You didn’t look like a monster, you didn’t look like a paedophile. You looked like an ordinary person.
“Everything you did to that boy was horrific and disgraceful. This is not just a murder, but a terrible murder. It has had widespread and shocking impacts, primarily on his parents and his two brothers, particularly his twin brother. But you gave no thought to them.
“I’ve seen no evidence in the months you’ve been in this court that you ever felt any remorse for what you did. These are chilling and disgraceful crimes. You have tragically and pointlessly snuffed out a young life.
“For the offence of murder the only sentence available is life imprisonment. It is appropriate to set non-parole period of 20 years. Not to say I’m of the view you should be released after 20 years.”
Daniel’s parents, Denise and Bruce Morcombe, were not in court for the sentencing.
A 12-person jury found Cowan, a 44-year-old father of three, guilty yesterday afternoon after seven hours and 25 minutes of deliberation.
Daniel Morcombe – known Australia-wide as the sweet boy with the cheeky smile and the bright red T-shirt – disappeared from a bus stop on the Kiel Mountain Road on 7 December 2003. He’d been going to buy Christmas presents for his family.
His disappearance – and the stoic determination of his parents to find out what happened to him – has galvanised Queenslanders for a decade.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
It took eight years and an enormous commitment of both staff and resources, but Queensland detectives, working closely with WA police, were finally able to get Cowan to confess to Daniel’s murder by disguising themselves as stand-over men, loan sharks, and brothel madams.
Together, they managed to convince Cowan that they were all members of the same criminal gang.
In 2011, they invited Cowan to join their fake criminal enterprise, and paid him small amounts of money to stand over prostitutes (who were in fact undercover officers) and to pay fake bribes to fake customs officers.
After several months, they invited him to take part in a major operation worth $100,000 but said they were worried about how closely police were watching him, because Cowan – a known pedophile – had long been a suspect in Daniel’s disappearance.
They promised to buy Cowan an alibi and help him clean up whatever remained of the crime scene, so other members of the fake gang wouldn’t feel the “heat” from having him around.
Cowan confessed that he’d snapped Daniel’s neck after picking him up from the bus stop, and offering to drive him to a local shopping centre.
In the taped confession, he said he wanted to molest Daniel, not kill him, but panicked when Daniel tried to flee. He then dragged Daniel’s body into the bush, where he covered it up with branches and leaves.
Police were able to use the information that Cowan provided to locate the remains of Daniel’s body – just 17 bone fragments – and his Globe skate shoes, and a pair of Bonds underpants.
Cowan was subsequently charged with murder.
His defence argued that he’d made up the confession because he badly wanted to be part of the crime gang.
Cowan’s defence barrister Angus Edwards tried to argue that another convicted child sex offender Douglas Jackway, was to blame for Daniel’s death, and that Jackway may have told other criminals where he’d placed Daniel’s body, and that those criminals may have passed details onto Cowan.
The jury didn’t buy it.
Crown prosecutor Michael Byrne QC that Cowan led undercover police to Daniel’s remains.
“He knew where these things were because he is the one who killed Daniel Morcombe,” Mr Byrne said.
Cowan didn’t testify in his own defence. He changed his name to Shaddo N-unyah Hunter after becoming a suspect in Daniel’s murder and was living in WA at the time of the police sting.
Cowan was charged in 2011. It has taken more than two years for the case to come to court.
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