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Shannon felt a ‘sense of doom’ as she sought justice for sexual assault. A new NSW program hopes to alleviate that

Exclusive: Dedicated service to support sexual assault victim-survivors as they navigate legal system to open in NSWGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt took Shannon Stokes two years and 11 days to successfully prosecute her former boyfriend for sexual assault and domestic violence offences. The lengthy trial left her feeling as though “there wasn’t going to be an end in sight”.Prosecutors secured convictions on nine of the 11 charges, and he was later sentenced to five years in prison. Continue reading...

Achol ArokNew South WalesDomestic violence

GuardianSep 26Preview

I hoped my children would have epiphanies while visiting my homeland; my father suggested we go swimming instead

I brought my children to Penang to immerse them in the places of their grandparents’ stories. When I stopped lecturing them about gratitude and privilege, we enjoyed our final days doing as locals doAs I stepped out of Penang international airport, the humidity hit me like I was peering into a just-opened rice cooker. The air carried whiffs of exhaust fumes, fried food and something earthy. It felt thrilling and familiar because I was born in Penang and lived there for six years before I moved to Australia. I looked back at my three children who were visiting for the first time. They were draped over their suitcases like wilted lettuce. “Welcome to Penang,” I said, wiping sweat off my brow.It was July 2026. It had been 13 years since I last visited Penang, when my father had hosted a lavish wedding dinner featuring a champagne fountain and swan-shaped ice sculpture for me and my new husb

Tessa LuMalaysia holidaysAustralian lifestyle