Search
thewest.com.au
PoliticsChevron Right Icon

Human Rights

Landmark dayVideoCommentsBiden signs US Juneteenth holiday marking slavery end

US President Joe Biden has signed legislation establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose

‘bring them home’Crowd holds birthday vigil for Tharnicaa at hospital

More than 100 people gathered outside Perth Children’s Hospital to hold a vigil for Tamil girl Tharnicaa Murugappan — who marked her birthday yesterday — and call for more rights for asylum seekers.

Brianna Dugan

investigation
investigation
face of a crisisCommentsPremium
investigation
The kids left in the cold by Perth’s rental crunch

When you go to bed tonight spare a thought for little Alice who sleeps in a car with her mother. The rental squeeze means more families like hers are forced into homelessness — leaving kids to suffer.

Annabel Hennessy

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
‘Painful situation’Premium
The West Australian exclusive
Medics’ plea to bring Tharnicaa’s family to Australia

Perth doctors treating asylum seeker Tharnicaa Marugappan, 4, say her recovery is dependent on being reunited with her family, while Premier Mark McGowan said the situation has dragged on ‘too long’.

Joe Spagnolo

‘I miss you, i love you’Tharnicaa marks birthday under Border Force guard

Asylum seeker Tharnicaa Marugappan has had her fourth birthday at Perth Children’s Hospital under heavy guard, separated from her dad and older sister who remain in detention on Christmas Island.

Brianna Dugan and Joe Spagnolo

Controversial decisionCommentsPremiumEx-MP to keep doctorate despite gay rights stance

ECU has decided to let former Liberal MP Barry House keep an honorary doctorate, despite demands from a gay rights group it should strip him of the degree because of his parliamentary voting record.

Bethany Hiatt

Health system civil warCommentsPremiumHospital duo to face medical watchdog over girl’s death

The Perth Children’s Hospital boss and Department of Health director-general will face the medical watchdog over Aishwarya Aswath’s death, after being referred by AMA WA president Dr Andrew Miller.

Joe Spagnolo

opinion
opinion
A Lack of respectCommentsPremium
opinion
How can we treat aged care workers like this?

We need to care for those who look after our elderly. Instead, we pay them just $22 an hour for work that is physically and emotionally draining. Is it any wonder we can’t get them to stay in the job?

Annabel Hennessy

Annabel HennessyPolitics Reporter

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
‘We won’t stay silent’Premium
The West Australian exclusive
Child abuse survivor’s call for action to protect kids

Casey Allum was just eight when her stepfather assaulted her. Her abuser — a creep well-known in the community — told her it was a joke. Now she’s calling for change to help others.

Briana Fiore

Every AGE CountsCommentsPremiumOlder people’s skills too often overlooked

Is there such thing as ‘too old’? It seems for many Australian employers there is, with the ideal worker getting younger and younger.

ageism-old problemCommentsPremiumCommissioner: Employers should prove they’re not ageist

WA’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner has called for radical changes to the law to combat ageism in hiring practices, including requiring employers to show they have not discriminated based on age.

Charlotte Elton

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Cast asideCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Knocked back from 237 jobs — because of his age

They are the words that can break the heart of any jobseeker: ‘we regret to inform you’. But 53-year-old veteran Nicolas Winterson is used to hearing them, as are many older people looking for work.

Charlotte Elton

Stop Asian HatePremiumCOVID-19 sees Asian Australians face racism pandemic

Dani, 19, had just stepped into a Midland clothing shop when an older man spewed racial abuse at her. ‘You’re not Australian made, you shouldn’t be allowed in here.’ It wasn’t the first time.

Annabel Hennessy

opinion
opinion
Blak lives matterCommentsPremium
opinion
We must fight for murdered and missing Blak women

Murdered and missing Indigenous women is an epidemic most heard of in Canada or the US but rarely reported on in Australia. These women are not statistics, they are real people, and they need justice.

Rangi Hirini

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Fight for identityCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
WA slammed for its ‘outdated’ trans laws

Equality groups across Australia say WA laws surrounding gender recognition processes for trans people are the ‘most outdated in the country’, after the tragic suicide of a trans teen from Perth.

Briana Fiore

Let’s talk about sexCommentsPremiumIf the government can’t explain consent, who can?

Few parents want to talk about it and schools are not much better. But what are our kids being taught about sexual consent, and how did a bizarre government video lift the lid on this taboo topic?

Bethany Hiatt

Fears mountCommentsDisturbing TikTok video promotes ‘National Rape Day’

Hysteria has swept social media platform TikTok over fears April 24 has been linked to a proposed ‘National Rape Day’.

Ben O'Shea

Blak Deaths in CustodyPremiumThe WA man who was ‘cooked to death’ in a prison van

‘Terrible’. ‘Wholly unnecessary’. ‘Avoidable’. These were the words used to describe the horrific 2008 case of Aboriginal elder Mr Ward, left to die in a prison van that heated to 56C.

Rangi Hirini

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
‘I could end this’Premium
The West Australian exclusive
‘Our Dawn’ opens up on the attack that changed her life

Dawn Fraser rarely talks about her horrific experience, but with allegations swirling about the nation’s capital the Olympic legend has revealed the long-lasting impact rape has had on her.

Leisa Scott

‘Sick of it’Neighbours star’s passionate BLM rally speech

Former Neighbours star Meyne Wyatt has addressed large crowds at a protest demanding justice for Aboriginal people who have died in custody, saying he is ‘sick of f**king talking about’ racism.

Anthony Piovesan

Housing crisisCommentsPremiumWA families lose thousands in cruel rental scam

Scammers are targeting desperate families, leaving them thousands of dollars out of pocket, with fake rental scams as the State battles one of its worst-ever housing crises.

Kim Macdonald

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Silent epidemicCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Four brave Perth women reveal sexual assault hell

One in four Australian women experience sexual assault and — most of the time — the perpetrator is someone they trust. Here are the stories of four brave women that have not been told until now.

Brianna Dugan

Human RightsUN rights investigator named Amnesty chief

Human rights group Amnesty International has named Agnes Callamard for a four-year term as the organisation's secretary general.

AAP

opinion
opinion
rational fearCommentsPremium
opinion
Deaths in custody stop our people trusting police

Aboriginal people have customs, stories, and traditions that we pass down as a way of keeping our culture alive. One trait I wish didn’t exist among the generations is the fear we have of police.

Rangi Hirini