New South Wales (NSW) state police have arrested 31 people, including three teenagers, after a turf war between two prominent drug gangs [File: David Gray/Reuters] By Ian Lloyd Neubauer. She does not have to fight to the death to protect herself from sexual assault. new To give you an idea of what to expect, here are some rent averages for the most popular cities in Australia. Another four men were in a red van that followed the white van. Indeed, when he was being taken away after I imposed sentence on him, he turned to me and said, 'And I am innocent, you c***t!' Latest news The crime was comparable to Lebanese gang rapes in Sydney. When the verdicts came in after the conclusion of this trial, I informed counsel that I would not sentence their clients until all trials concerning them had concluded. What we know about the Beirut explosion video explainer, caused by the unsafe storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, anti-government protests in Lebanon in October 2019, president Emmanuel Macron toured the devastated scenes. Average rent in Sydney. Evidence was presented to show the layout of the park, the positioning of lights and buildings in the park and evidence was given by the complainant that these events happened at night time. Stephen Gibbs for Daily Mail Australia I wouldnt even put the request through to Canberra that the Lebanese government wanted direct funding, because it would go nowhere., That level of overt corruption is only too familiar for ordinary Lebanese, who blame government negligence and mismanagement for the devastating blast. This then meant there was not sufficient evidence against him of identification. However, when the van finally stopped, it was at a park in Greenacre. There is no concept in our law that there is a category of person called loose women who are deemed somehow to consent and certainly there is no law that merely because a young woman might give an indication that she was friendly with someone and didn't protest too much when they were laying hands on her that she therefore was consenting to anything. And an otherwise law-abiding majority erect a wall of silence when dealing with police they regularly accuse and sue for thuggery and racial profiling. Average rent in Melbourne. They were quite friendly at school and he suggested that she come with him on a drive to go and look at the Harbour Bridge on a Saturday. 5 Brian Lipscomb According to the NSW Police, Lebanese crime families have started to corner the market on drug-dealing, causing them to clash with other gangs in the city. Learn how your comment data is processed. I was the judge who dealt with these trials. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. United States A 44-year-old woman killed two Lebanese residing in Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria in the southeast of Australia. The first community of Lebanese in Australia were Maronite Christians, quickly followed by a large Muslim community. The men in the van departed quickly and the man took her to his flat, calmed her down and helped her call a friend who eventually came and took her home. Bilal Skaf and up to eleven other men who were never identified, then turned up in a van sometime later. The ultra-rich lost 10% of their wealth in 2022, study finds, Devin Booker delights against the Hornets, Russian internet celebrity posts 700-year-old holy tree naked! Restaurateurs in Bankstown pay up to $50,000 a year in protection money or risk having their premises firebombed, while Shia and Sunni Muslims exchange invectives and blows on the streets. For the past decades the Arab crime families had controlled 78% of Germany's underworld activities. The Triple Frontier, a tri-border area along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, is often used by Lebanese groups connected to political parties but also by Arab Mafia groups as a heaven for smuggling and money laundering. The sheer scale of it, and that it sounds like it was completely avoidable. Michael Finnane, the judge who imposed that record sentence - which was later reduced after several appeals - was widely celebrated for his stance at the time. Bourse The passion is there and so is the willingness to help, Rebecca Maakasa, a 23-year-old Melburnian, says. EXTRACT: After the sentences were imposed, many people would say things like, 'I'm glad you got those Lebs,' but I found myself trying to explain that I did not 'get those Lebs' at all. The . 11:06 EST 27 May 2018 While Lebanese settled all over Australia, the majority have consistently settled in NSW and particularly in Sydney. 'Sexual intercourse without consent must be the worst crime after murder, because it involves a person invading the body of another, usually violently. I cannot say what will happen to these men. This means that many other gangs of boys are doing the same crimes. Political overview. However, the victims' descriptions of the other men who attacked them were quite vague, as could be expected. Corona . The Australian Embassy in Beirut, opened in 1967, was the third Australian Embassy to be established in the Middle East. In the past there was a code among crime gangs in Sydney that bodies in the street were bad for business, says Michael Duffy, the author of Drive By, a new novel about a Lebanese crime family and the efforts of a bigoted, dispirited police force to lock them up. The Pursuit of Justice chronicles Finnane's legal career and lifelong campaigning for for social justice, particularly the treatment of those disadvantaged by the legal system. The commission of a crime that shocked the Lebanese, who numbered 70 to 90,000 between expatriates and descendants in the city. Following this, the Crown prosecutor made a closing address dealing with all aspects of the case and putting forward arguments as to why there should be convictions in each case. The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. The first community of Lebanese in Australia were Maronite Christians, quickly followed by a large Muslim community. 'What caused the unprecedented public interest in the Skaf trials, what set them apart from all other sexual assault trials, was the repeated attacks in a short time frame by a gang with a carefully planned strategy,' Finnane writes. It seems that the police learned from him that the woman had stabbed his friend as well. Many months later he pleaded guilty to a series of sexual offences that included the events of this night. I do not believe he will ever acknowledge the seriousness of what he did. Relatives have legally . I think the sentences struck a chord with the public generally because the attacks were predatory and carefully planned. I cant tell what some of the things are in the photos, what they once were. Id punch any Aussie kid who even looked at me., (MORE:Circle Sentencing: Alternative Justice in Australia). Culture I considered that I should say these words because it was important that the jury and anyone listening to the trial, including the accused, have a full realisation that a woman has to do nothing more than refuse consent. Expat families: 3.413 USD. I then summed up the entire case, dealing with all the evidence, all the arguments and the law that applied. When they obliged, he crushed the foam cups and spread the debris onto the court floor. Football [6] These criminal organizations are mostly based around extended criminal clans. Fortunately she wasnt home at the time. live broadcast rancho bernardo country club membership cost; About. When people have lost their homes and families, you dont think twice. His demeanour in the court room said that. While working as CEO of the Australian International Islamic College in Brisbane last year, he initiated a new program that saw problem students placed in a behavior-management room where they were closely supervised by an Islamic cleric. There was another man, later identified as Y, who took part in the events on this night. All the windows were broken, the doors blown up, she says. That sentence was modified several times upon appeal. Finnane dealt with sadistic rapists before and after the Skaf cases. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. For example, I had to explain that sexual intercourse was not, as many people might think, only penetration of the vagina of a woman by the penis of a man, but extended to penetration of any part of the body of a person by any part of the body of another. He and the others who accompanied him then dragged the unfortunate girl to the middle of the park where they pulled of her clothes and proceeded to run their hands over her body. She was then dumped at a train station after being hosed down. They made very little attempt to cover their tracks. There are certainly criminal groups you could describe as Middle Eastern in origin but the lines are now blurring, he tells TIME. It was nearly midnight. I said to myself, I cant see this anymore, theres nothing I can do here, Im just going to go to the hospital to give blood and see how I can help.. Perhaps the offenders did not believe any of the victims would ever tell the police. Skaf and the members of this gang clearly wanted public recognition for what they had done. The devastation in Beirut has profoundly touched Australias 250,000-strong Lebanese community. A range of factors impinge upon criminal behaviour . That is not the law. In this case, only Bilal Skaf gave evidence. USA A number of the men penetrated her vagina with their fingers. . Neither Ghanem nor Hajeid gave evidence and their cases were run on the basis that the girls could not identify them but that, of course, became very difficult for them when Bilal Skaf gave evidence that placed them at the park. BEIRUT (AP) Unknown assailants broke into the offices of Lebanon's state-run National News Agency and stole the servers that contain its archives, the Information Ministry said Monday. However, these crimes were of secondary importance. ShiaChat.com may be unavailable periodically Saturday night to Sunday evening while we migrate to new servers and perform some necessary updates. 'I do not think it is correct. The plan was to kidnap, degrade, sexually assault and humiliate. At some time after this first trial began, I was informed that there were other trials involving the same men and other men in which kidnapping, forced sexual intercourse and other assaults were involved. Five computers were stolen along with the servers, Lebanese TV channel LBCI reported. Many of the rapists have never been identified and police fear there were more victims who did not come forward. Thats whats so disturbing., Lebanese-born educator Keysar Trad believes criminality in the community is a by-product of overly strict parents who expect their children to excel at school, and racism in the classroom and playground that prevents them from doing so. The two girls were unaware of the red van until sometime after the men in the white van conveyed them to a park at Greenacre some hours later. If a person who is guilty, pleads guilty, anxiety and stress to the victims is removed and it is reasonable to give lesser sentences. Social media has been very important pages connected to diaspora networks create a ripple effect, which helps spread the word and mobilise the Lebanese diaspora across cities and continents.. I also told the jury that 'this is not a court of morals' and explained that they might not approve of the conduct of some of the participants because they thought they were acting immorally, but that was not the question at all. Indictable offenses are heard in a superior court in the presences of a jury. Lebanese move to west Africa, escaping the crisis at home A new wave of migrants has come looking for jobs Jun 10th 2021 W HEN BANKS started to fail and protesters began filling the streets in. Melbourne experiences a moderate crime rate and is generally considered a safe city for living and travelling. I hope that those who have been released do rehabilitate or, at the very least, that they do not re-offend. His attitude was the same throughout the trial. 'I reject this complaint as well,' he writes. Subscribe here: http://9Soci.al/chmP50wA97J Full Episodes: https://9now.app.link/uNP4qBkmN6 | The Facebook Gangster (2021)For investigative reporter Nick McK. Malayalam News Finnane had been a judge of the New South District Court for a little more than a year when appointed to hear the Skaf gang trials, the first of which commenced on December 13, 2001. The population is diverse, having a large Christian religious base, being mostly Maronite Catholics, while also having a large Muslim group of Sunni branch of Islam.. Lebanon, in both its modern-day form as the Lebanese state . Some experienced criminal lawyers also expressed disagreements with Finnane's sentences, claiming he had no regard to the Skaf brothers' rehabilitation. And these guys are well armed. The first community of Lebanese in Australia were Maronite Christians, quickly followed by a large Muslim community. As the French president Emmanuel Macron toured the devastated scenes in Beirut on Thursday, a Lebanese woman could be heard urging the president to not give money to the corrupt government. Macron replied, I guarantee you, this aid will not go to corrupt hands.. They wanted wide publicity. What was it that caused Bilal Skaf to carefully plan this series of attacks on young women in Sydney? It was about 9pm at this stage. Bilal Skaf was one of the people who then approached the victim whom he grabbed by the hair. The damage is extensive, like all the other apartments in the area. 'Skaf and the members of this gang clearly wanted public recognition for what they had done.'. News (MORE:The Ones That Didnt Make It: Australia-Bound Refugees Languish in Indonesia), In the last few decades unfortunately we have not had peace in Lebanon, Pierre Semaan, of the Australian Lebanese Christian Foundation, tells TIME. None generated anything like the public attention these trials drew. It is also possible that there were other victims who have never come forward. And given the history of government efforts to obtain information on race, Im not even sure its something we should be doing. The victim was taken from the station area and forced into public toilets where four men in this group sexually assaulted her, with one of them assaulting her twice. The closest thing to non-white allies we have is . The 1997-98 statistics produce high alleged offender rates . Collins, J. The complainant, who had been sexually assaulted by fourteen men something like forty times over four hours, could not identify him. A criminal trial commences with the Crown prosecutor calling evidence, after making a short opening address, then each of the accused in turn calls evidence in his case if he wishes to do so. Of these, 52.5 per cent were males and 47.5 per cent were females. This article (a transcribed speech by former Australian Police Detective Tim Priest) gives an important look at why there was "white riot" on the Cronulla beaches. The girls had no idea where they were and were obviously terrified. Each of Ghanem and Hajeid's counsel put forward arguments that they had not been properly identified and were not present. This is probably Katter's most famous and funny video, wait until the end. Killing and shooting and illegal activity have become part of daily life. I also told them to put out of their minds any religious or racial views they had. The latest death toll stands at over 150 but is expected to climb. The four men in this other car all raped this unfortunate young girl, who was then hosed down until she was soaking wet and forced out of the car that she was in near the Catholic Club at Lidcombe. Each girl was questioned by the Crown prosecutor first and then cross-examined by each of the counsel for the accused. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. Bikie gangs such as the Nomads recruit heavily from among Lebanese Muslims, as have jihadist recruiters. A Year Later, Unanswered Questions and Bad Blood, The Nanjing Massacre: Scenes from a Hideous Slaughter 75 Years Ago, Blood Money: Tsunami Recovery Funds Go to Japans Whaling Industry. The way we have been connecting is through Slack, getting visuals out on social media to attract peoples attention, and direct people in a very structured way as to how they can help, she explains. By 2016, the year of Australia . 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The largest wave of migration from Lebanon occurred between 1976 and 1981 during the Lebanese Civil War. International The most common crimes involve physical altercations, trespassing, burglary, and damaging public or private property. Koreans, growing numbers of Indians, and on the Lakemba side lots of Lebanese and other Arabs. The crime was comparable to Lebanese gang rapes in Sydney. Bilal Skaf, however, elected to give evidence. Now retired from the District Court and back in private practice, Finnane has written about this terrible chapter in the country's criminal annals in a memoir about his life on the bench and at the bar. There was no obvious reason. Single expats: 1.773 USD. The devastation has profoundly touched Australia's 250,000-strong Lebanese community, with the immediate sense of despair now transitioning to a desperate urge to assist. Single expats: 1.630 USD. What made this trial startlingly different from most rape trials of which I was aware were four matters: 1. A mobile phone was then used by someone in this group to secure the attendance of another group who arrived in a car. In the face of such catastrophic ruin, the only option local residents had was to help. He had convictions for offences of dishonesty and it was thus easy for the Crown to establish that he was a man of bad character. The former ambassador is no stranger to Lebanese corruption, having fielded astonishing requests from Lebanese officials in his time there seeking Australian aid money for self-fulfilling purposes. The two victims were schoolgirls who were wandering around a shopping centre at Chatswood on 10 August 2000 about nine o'clock at night. Lebanese organized crime is active in the country of Lebanon itself, as well as in countries and areas with a large Arab community, most notably United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and in the Triple Frontier in South America. In Germany these clans mostly settled in Berlin, Bremen and Essen where they became involved in narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, car theft, money laundering and armed robbery. Worldwide pandemic lockdowns have only made it easier for Lebanese expats to coordinate. technology 'During the sentencing process at the end of the Skaf trials, I expressed the view that what this gang did was worse than murder. Lebanese (and I went to school with a lot of them) don't, they hate Australia's, they hate our way of life and they don't want to . Finnnane sentenced Bilal Skaf to a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison with a minimum term of 40 years. Taxpayers can be assured their money wont end up in the pockets of corrupt officials, according to Lex Bartlem, who served as Australian ambassador to Beirut between 2010 and 2014. The devastation has profoundly touched Australias 250,000-strong Lebanese community, with the immediate sense of despair now transitioning to a desperate urge to assist. 'It seemed clear to me that these men were sending out a message to the community in Sydney,' he writes. Finally, the rural areas of Sydney are home to small-time gangs who act as enforcers for the bigger gangs in the city. But after seeing a close friend covered with petrol and set alight, he turned over a new leaf and began writing The Combination, a film about Lebanese schoolchildren who get caught up with gangs that won critical acclaim on release in 2010. Present governor of the State of NSW is a distinguished Lebanese-Christian woman. Crimes under Lebanese laws may not be considered offences in Australia. To condemn the racialisation of crime is not to deny that there are Lebanese Australians or Vietnamese Australians who commit crimes. newspaper This was also the position for the assaults and the robberies committed on the two victims. He extended his criminal activities and eventually became known as "the Lebanese . You just want more, Basha says. Lebanon has a population of approximately 4.6 million, with 18 recognised distinct religious . The aim of this study is to compare . Each of them also denied agreeing at any time, in the van or in the park, to oral sex with these men and the men in the red van. A former minister once asked me, hasnt the Australian embassy got a little aid budget? I asked what for, he said he wanted to put new street lighting on his street. Bartlem says that request was one of many, which included a Lebanese politician seeking all-expense-paid trips to Australia. I like Middle Eastern food. The law provides that a discount of up to 25 per cent is appropriate to be given if the plea of guilty is given at an early time. Confined at home due to Victorias lockdown, Maakasa has taken to social media to connect with others in the Lebanese diaspora across the world and offer assistance however she can. In 2002, people born in Australia were imprisoned at a rate of 156 per 100,000 while those born overseas were imprisoned at a rate of 146 per 100,000. This went on for some time and eventually Mohammed Skaf used a mobile phone to summon his brother Bilal. Result: gun crime in western Sydney and northern Melbourne often involves Lebanese Australians, as we saw with the murder last month of Hamad Assaad, himself a suspected hitman. Much of that support is being directed virtually to a grassroots online fundraising drive based in London. #23. After finishing school, Basha became involved in more serious crimes. There were others who have never been brought to trial. Europe Skaf clearly was the leader. The first occurred from 1880 to 1947 when many Maronite, Melkite and Orthodox Christians migrated. Lebanon's national archives are located in a building that houses two ministries. At no point, however, did he identify the men in the red van. They found him dead in his apartment in a building in the same area, while Abboud died in an ambulance while she was transporting him to Nearby hospital. This trial concluded on 11 July 2002 and concerned events of 12 August 2000, only two nights after the attacks on the two girls from Chatswood. The jury considered this very carefully and were out considering their verdicts for a number of days but, when they came back, they convicted the three accused on all charges. The trial for these ofences was particularly horrifying. They were an attack on society, but why? ASIAN ORGANISED CRIME IN AUSTRALIA A Discussion Paper by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority February 1995 (return to table of contents) 5. Each girl denied this and gave evidence that Skaf, and those with him in the white van, persistently put pressure on them to engage in oral sex in the van on the way to Greenacre. Hamzy, 44, was gunned down in the . God damn, you see one blonde person from Turkey or Lebanon and you think that there's pure whites in that country. 4. We tried setting it up once but it didnt work, says Don Weatherburn, director of the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. What is still difficult for me to understand is why this serious criminal conspiracy involving so many young men was launched. Lebanon was still politically dysfunctional and rivalries had left it without a president for most of 2016. 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