New South Wales’ upper house have moved to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into hate crimes against the LGBTI+ community in Sydney between 1970 and 2010.

The multi-party Inquiry will be carried out by the Social Issues Committee, following calls from the community for such an inquiry into the murders of at least 88 people over those 40 years.

The inquiry has also been guided by a recent report from New South Wales’ premier LGBTI+ health organisation ACON documenting violence against the LGBTI+ community, as well as the NSW Police Strike Force Parrabell report that reviewed past deaths to examine if they were hate crimes.

Liberal party Chair of the Inquiry Shayne Mallard MLC welcomes the investigation and the opportunity for those close to victims to share their experience with Parliament and seek justice.

“The gay hate crimes, bashings and murders are a dark stain on our city’s past that needs to be fully exposed for the sake of the victims, their families, friends and the community in general,” Mallard said.

“This Inquiry will not only look at the violent crimes committed against the LGBTIQ community but will also review current policies around hate crimes to determine if any short comings have been addressed.”

Labor MLC Penny Sharpe adds that she is pleased that members were able to work across Parliament to establish the Inquiry.

“The ferocity and frequency of violence targeted towards members of the LGBTIQ community in the past decades has been exposed over many years,” Sharpe said.

“The two reports delivered this year were important steps towards understanding this violence and warrant further examination.”

“Victims and their families and friends still have questions that remain unanswered.”

Image:- NSW Parliament website