Police Chief Commissioner in Victoria, Australia, apologises for unacceptable harm towards the LGBTQ community
Graham Ashton formally apologised to the LGBTQ community in the Australian city
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Police in Victoria, Australia, have apologised for the unnecessary and unacceptable harm they caused to the LGBTQ community.
While at an event today (August 19), Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton formally addressed the issue and apologised to the LGBTQ community for the harm the police caused them while the anti-gay laws were in place.
He said: “We are sorry for that harm that you experienced.
“We can’t turn back the clock and repair what happened then, but we can certainly march from today into the future.”
The anti-gay laws – which made homosexuality a punishable crime – were repealed in the 1980s but criminal records against men were expunged decades later.
Ashton also went on to say how the police force has made a lot of progress with its relationship with the LGBTQ community but acknowledged it wasn’t enough.