Post by buzz on Aug 3, 2006 0:25:29 GMT -5
A 15-year-old Aboriginal girl appeared in the Kalgoorlie Children's Court yesterday as the first person charged under WA's new racial vilification laws.
The court was told the teenager was among a group of Aboriginal females who bashed and racially taunted a 19-year-old Caucasian woman.
Yesterday the girl pleaded guilty to an assault but not guilty to the racial vilification charge.
Mayor Ron Yuryevich says the case casts an unwanted spotlight on the city.
He says the city has worked hard to lose its racist image.
"We don't like to see anything that will perhaps - not derail it - but make things a lot harder," he said.
The director of the National Reconciliation Forum, Graham Thomson, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, does not agree with Mr Yuryevich.
Mr Thomson believes the case will not affect the city's attempts at reconciliation.
"I think it's a welcome spotlight on the city because whether people are black, white or brindle, the Racial Vilification Act squares the ledger and it doesn't matter what your personal background is, if you want to cast aspersions or take actions against another person in a racial manner, then you will be charged," he said.
"I think that if Kalgoorlie-Boulder has to be the place where you set the benchmark, where it's no good for white people to racially have a go at Aboriginals and equally it's no good for Aboriginals to have a go at white people, if that's what we've got to do for Western Australia let's do it."
The magistrate will hand down her findings next month.
The court was told the teenager was among a group of Aboriginal females who bashed and racially taunted a 19-year-old Caucasian woman.
Yesterday the girl pleaded guilty to an assault but not guilty to the racial vilification charge.
Mayor Ron Yuryevich says the case casts an unwanted spotlight on the city.
He says the city has worked hard to lose its racist image.
"We don't like to see anything that will perhaps - not derail it - but make things a lot harder," he said.
The director of the National Reconciliation Forum, Graham Thomson, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, does not agree with Mr Yuryevich.
Mr Thomson believes the case will not affect the city's attempts at reconciliation.
"I think it's a welcome spotlight on the city because whether people are black, white or brindle, the Racial Vilification Act squares the ledger and it doesn't matter what your personal background is, if you want to cast aspersions or take actions against another person in a racial manner, then you will be charged," he said.
"I think that if Kalgoorlie-Boulder has to be the place where you set the benchmark, where it's no good for white people to racially have a go at Aboriginals and equally it's no good for Aboriginals to have a go at white people, if that's what we've got to do for Western Australia let's do it."
The magistrate will hand down her findings next month.