Stt Johnson, Sydney's gay-hate murrs and the two men who loved him most | Sydney | The Guardian

Contents:

• 'UGLY PART OF OUR HISTORY': SYDNEY'S WAVE OF GAY-HATE ATHS EXPOSED
• ATRALIAN DOCUMENTARY INVTIGAT SPIC DEATHS OF 88 GAY MEN SYDNEY: WATCH
• SYDNEY'S GAY HATE CRIM STILL UNSOLVED 30 YEARS ON AS REPORT LLS FOR MORE VTIGATNS
• SYDNEY'S GAY MURRS: COULD A LIFE HAVE BEEN SAVED IF POLICE WERE MORE MOTIVATED?
• NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY
• SYDNEY MAN GETS 12 YEARS FOR MURRG GAY AMERIN 1988
• INVTIGATN REVEALED EVIL AND VLENCE DIRECTED AT GAY MEN ACROSS SYDNEY
• ATRALIAN MAN IS CONVICTED OF KILLG GAY AMERIN 1980S
• ‘COLD SE’ GAY MURRS: TWO BOOKS ILLUMATE ATRALIA’S DARK HISTORY OF POLICE AND ARY VLENCE
• BLOODSPORT: THE BONDI GAY MURRS
• STT JOHNSON, SYDNEY'S GAY-HATE MURRS AND THE TWO MEN WHO LOVED HIM MOST
• 'MISTAK MA': POLICE NSIR FORMAL APOLOGY FOR SYDNEY GAY HATE CRIMA REVIEW OF 88 SYDNEY MURRS HAS REVEALED 27 MEN WERE LIKELY MURRED SIMPLY FOR BEG GAY, WH NSW POLICE SAYG THEY N "LEARN OM THE PAST".STT JOHNSON'S 1988 MURR IS ONE OF 88 SPECTED HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKS TO BE REVIEWED BY NSW POLICE. SOURCE: AAPA REVIEW OF 88 SPIC ATHS HAS REVEALED 27 GAY MEN LOST THEIR LIV TO HOMOPHOBIC KILLERS DURG A VLENT AND DARK PERD OF SYDNEY'S HISTORY – AND THE NSW POLICE FORCE IS NSIRG ISSUG A FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE VICTIMS. POLICE RELEASED THE FDGS OF STRIKEFORCE PARRABELL ON WEDNDAY, WHICH FOUND EIGHT ATHS BETWEEN 1976 AND 2000 WERE THE RULT OF GAY-HATE CRIMA FURTHER 19 MEN ARE SPECTED TO HAVE DIED SIARLY BTAL ATTACKS WHILE ANOTHER 25 ULD NOT BE LED OUT, PARRABELL NCLUD.FIVE OF THE SPECTED GAY HATE KILLGS REMA UNSOLVED AND 23 OF THE 88 S ARE NOW BACK WH THE UNSOLVED HOMICI UN.STT JOHNSON WAS FOUND AD ON THE ROCKS BELOW THE NORTH HEAD MANLY 1988. SOURCE: AAPFROM THE 1970S GAY MEN WERE FOUND SLA PARKS, HOM OR WASHED ONTO SHARP ROCKS BELOW SYDNEY'S SECLUD GAY BEATS.THE CY'S BUDDG LGBTQI+ MUNY WAS BEG TARGETED WHILE MUCH OF THE MUNY LOOKED AWAY.THE VLENCE REACHED A BLOODY CRCENDO THE LATE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S FUELLED BY A "MORAL PANIC" TRIGGERED BY THE HIV EPIMIC.TWELVE REMENDATNS HAVE BEEN MA BY NSW POLICE TO IMPROVE HOW THE FORCE VTIGAT POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIM, BUT A PEAK LGBTQI+ BODY QUTNS IF REFORMS GO FAR ENOUGH."WE ACCEPT THAT THERE WERE MISTAK MA. WE ACCEPT THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRED. WE ACCEPT THAT WE N LEARN OM THE PAST AND WE N DO BETTER," ASSISTANT COMMISSNER TONY CRANLL TOLD REPORTERS SYDNEY AT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE FDGS."WE BELIEVE THAT THE MUNY EXPECTATN OF POLICE TODAY AND ALWAYS IS TO NDUCT THOROUGH VTIGATNS WHEN TO THE ATH OF SOMEBODY, WHETHER THAT BE OM A FAY OR MUNY PERSPECTIVE, AND WE MT LIVE UP TO THAT STANDARD."PLEASE UNRSTAND THAT STRIKE FORCE PARABELL IS NOT A MENT UPON THE LEVEL OF VLENCE OR HATRED OR MOTIVATNS AGAST THE LGBTQI+ OR GAY-LBIAN MUNY THE '70S, '80S, '90S," ASST COM CRANLL SAID.READ MOREWORLD CUP 'SAFE SPACE' FOR LGBTQI+ MUNY SHUT DOWN ST PETERSBURG  UP TO 20 ASSLTS TOOK PLACE EACH DAY BUT UNSYMPATHETIC ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE AND JUDICIARY MEANT MOST ATTACKS WERE NEVER REPORTED OR VTIGATED.STRIKE FORCE PARRABELL'S GOAL WAS TO "DO ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE" TO HEAL THE RIFT THAT GREW BETWEEN POLICE AND THE LGBTIQ MUNY THOSE S.A TEAM OF POLICE VTIGATORS AND PENNT AMICS OM FLRS UNIVERSY LOOKED AT WHETHER ATTACKERS HAD SHOWN EVINCE OF GAY-HATE MOTIVATN.THEY REACHED DIFFERENT NCLNS SOME S BUT AGREED EIGHT ATHS WERE THE RULT OF GAY HATE.ALL EIGHT HAVE BEEN SOLVED - THE KILLERS WERE CHARGED AND NVICTED.A FURTHER 19 ATHS ARE SPECTED OF GAY HATE CRIM AND FIVE OF THOSE REMA UNSOLVED.AMONG THEM WAS 25-YEAR-OLD NEWSREAR ROSS WARREN WHOSE KEYS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT A TAMARAMA GAY BEAT 1989.HIS BODY WAS NEVER FOUND BUT HOMOPHOBIC YOUTHS WERE KNOWN TO BE LNCHG ATTACKS ON GAY MEN THE AREA TO ASSERT MASCULY OR AS A GANG IATN.ROSS WARREN, A 25-YEAR-OLD TELEVISN NEWSREAR WH WIN WOLLONGONG WHO WENT MISSG NEAR MARKS PARK AT TAMARAMA SYDNEY JULY 1989. SOURCE: NSW POLICE MEDIATHE PUTY STATE RONER, 2005, LED MR WARREN WAS A HOMICI VICTIM.STT JOHNSON, WHO WAS FOUND AD ON THE ROCKS BELOW NORTH HEAD'S GAY BEAT 1988, IS ALSO A SPECTED VICTIM.HIS ATH, LIKE MANY OTHERS, WAS LED A SUICI BY AN EARLY QUT.BUT PARRABELL, LIKE THE LATT RONIAL LG 2017, SAW ENOUGH EVINCE TO LE HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKERS MAY HAVE THROWN OR CHASED HIM OFF THE CLIFF.ONLY 34 S HAD NO EVINCE OF BIAS WHILE THE REMAG 25 HAD SUFFICIENT EVINCE FOR CLASSIFITN - BUT ULD NOT BE LED OUT.THE CHURCH, STATE AND MEDIL WORLD CLASSIFIED HOMOSEXUALY AS A S, CRIME, AND DISEASE RPECTIVELY DURG MUCH OF THIS PERD.HIV SUPPORT ANISATN ACON WELED PARRABELL'S FDGS, BUT THE GROUP'S CEO NILAS PARKHILL SAID THE REMENDATNS SENTIALLY RERCE EXISTG POLICI, AND HE LLED FOR POLICE TO BOLSTER THE BIAS CRIM UN TO PROTECT THE LGBTIQ MUNY.MR PARKHILL WANTS A BROAR PENNT REVIEW TO THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM'S HANDLG OF THE UNR-SIEGE MUNY THE VLENT S."CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED THE PAST ABOUT WHETHER THE POLICE N OBJECTIVELY REVIEW THEMSELV AND THEIR PRACTIC," HE SAID.ASST COM TONY CRANLL VOWED TO NEVER LET HISTORY REPEAT SELF.NSW POLICE, ON WEDNDAY, ACKNOWLEDGED HAD BEEN NO BETTER - BUT WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD.IT'S IMPORTANT NSW POLICE ACKNOWLEDGE S PART HISTORY," ASSISTANT COMMISSNER TONY CRANLL TOLD REPORTERS SYDNEY ON TUDAY."IF YOU FAIL TO HAVE A THOROUGH VTIGATN EVEN ONE ATH AFFECTS THEM ALL."PARRABELL STOPPED SHORT OF TAKG UP ACON'S REMENDATN OF AN APOLOGY - BUT MR PARKHILL REIGNED THE LL."THIS WOULD SEND A POSIVE SIGN TO ANY SAME-SEX ATTRACTED UPLE WHO ARE STILL TOO IGHTENED TO HOLD HANDS MANY PLAC AROUND THE STATE FOR FEAR OF VLENCE," HE SAID.AAP UNRSTANDS POLICE LEARSHIP WILL NSIR AN APOLOGY.SHARE5 M READPUBLISHED 27 JUNE 2018 7:10AMUPDATED 27 JUNE 2018 8:34PMSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS
• COMMISSN VTIGAT FOUR S OF UNSOLVED ANTI-GAY KILLGS ATRALIA
• SYDNEY MURR NVICTN FOR GAY AMERIN’S ATH OVERTURNED

'UGLY PART OF OUR HISTORY': SYDNEY'S WAVE OF GAY-HATE ATHS EXPOSED

They clud the bashg murr of martial arts expert Raymond Keam, 43, Randwick's Alison Park, also a gay beat, January 1987; the killg of 50-year-old schoolteacher William Allen Alexandria Park on December 28, 1988, a ltle over a year before the killg of Johnson the same lotn; and the ath of Cleveland Street High teacher Wayne Tonks his Artarmon un on May 19, 1990.

The Sydney Cliff murrs were a strg of murrs om the 80’s through the 90’s agast gay men the of Sydney, Atralia which may have had as many as 90 victims — primarily Marks Park at the top of the Bondi Beach cliffs, which was a popular cisg spot for gay men, but also some other areas that were popular “gay beats”.

An extensive review of 88 spic aths Sydney between 1976 and 2000 has revealed almost a third were the rult of crim volvg spected or nfirmed gay-hate to 10 crimal vtigators have spent three years reviewg the aths, which had been highlighted by rearchers as havg potential gay-hate bias motivatn, or a nnectn wh the LGBTIQ as Strike Force Parrabell, the vtigatn's report, to be ma public on Wednday, has found evince of gay-hate bias or spected bias 27 s while 23 of the aths also rema of the 88 aths were removed om the vtigatn - one bee took place outsi of NSW and the other had no rerds to Rsell's body was found at the base of a cliff at Tamarama.

ATRALIAN DOCUMENTARY INVTIGAT SPIC DEATHS OF 88 GAY MEN SYDNEY: WATCH

"Among the unsolved is the ath of John Rsell, whose life was cut short 1989 when he was disvered at the base of a cliff below Marks Park, a known gay beat below the Bondi to Tamarama astal Rsell, 31, was the midst of planng to travel around Atralia when he was found lyg on rocks below the cliff wh extensive juri.

Mr Warren's body has never been ath of young mathematician Stt Johnson, whose 1988 ath was also termed to be the rult of a gay hate crime durg an extraordary third ronial qut November last fdg was reaffirmed by Strike Force Force Parrabell was lnched followg a submissn to the Atralian Instute of Crimology 2013, which intified potential gay-hate motivatns 88 spic aths across the wake of the submissn and subsequent media reports, police intified an urgent need to unver evince of homosexual bias among the 88 aths, as well as addrs allegatns of liberate police actn, police participatn gay bashgs and police btaly.

SYDNEY'S GAY HATE CRIM STILL UNSOLVED 30 YEARS ON AS REPORT LLS FOR MORE VTIGATNS

In most of the 23 unsolved aths, such as that of 61-year-old Cyril Olsen who was found floatg face down Rhcutters Bay Augt 1992, vtigators said they had sufficient rmatn to tablish if was, or wasn't a bias those nfirmed to be gay-hate killgs, by both Parrabell and the pennt universy review team, was the murr of Patrick O'Neill at the hands of an 18-year-old male O'Neill was found ad his un on Bayswater Road Kgs Cross 68-year-old had been stabbed numero tim to his cht and throat, before he was vered newspapers and clothg and set alight. Raymond Keam was found ad Alison Park, Randwick January Randall Walsh, then 18, had left the Kgs Cross apartment after engagg nsensual sex wh Mr O'Neill, only to return wh a pair of scissors he would e to flict the vic subsequent police terviews Walsh ma repeated rogatory ments about homosexuals, while also acknowledgg nfn over his own was nvicted of manslghter and sentenced to 12 years jail.

SYDNEY'S GAY MURRS: COULD A LIFE HAVE BEEN SAVED IF POLICE WERE MORE MOTIVATED?

LoadgOther aths reviewed clu Richard Johnson, who was found near the toilet block of Alexandria Park January 1990 and Raymond Keam, 44, who was found Alison Park, Randwick January Force Parrabell found 34 s wh no evince of gay-hate bias crime, wh four still yet to be solved. Insufficient rmatn meant the 25 remag s uld not be termed as eher gay-hate related or not, 14 of which are still the 63 solved s, which a domant motivatn uld be termed, ne were classified as gay-hate crim, six were classified as motivated by paedophile-bias, 32 were found to be motivated by robbery, while 14 s attracted other motivatns.

"The report ma twelve remendatns, cludg the need for revised bias crime ditor asssment tools; ongog ethil and cultural trag to specifilly clu LGBTIQ experienc and ntued improvements to electronic se file twelve will be implemented by NSW Police Commissner Mick month HIV preventn group ACON released s own report to "gay and transgenr prejudice killgs NSW the late 20th century, " which remend a formal apology by NSW Police to the LGBTI muny for "the aquate or slow rpons to vlence throughout this perd" is unrstood Assistant Commissner Cranll tends to brief Commissner Fuller about the prospect of an apology. “There are var parti that are rponsible but there is a kd of overridg sense we were all blissfully ignorant or not terted or different — but maybe people should have been there’s a kd of nflict, on one hand [Sydney] was a gay mec on the other was a dangero place to be gay — serly dangero.

NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY

"In light of today's changed attus, the AIDS Council of NSW (ACON) has released a landmark report llg for further vtigatns to at least 30 unsolved gay hate Johnson was among dozens of gay men who were killed or disappeared at var lotns Sydney durg the 1980s and s, NSW Police were adamant that the Amerin killed himself, until a third ronial qut 2017 led a gay hate CEO Nick Parkhill scribed the lg as a "watershed moment" for the loved on and victims of "a dark chapter Sydney's history" remendatns om the ronial qut clud:An pennt vtigatn or parliamentary quiry to the police rponse to the gay hate crim that occurred last centuryA formal apology om the state ernment on behalf of the parliament and om NSW PoliceA special taskforce dited to vtigatg historil gay hate murrs and unsolved crimA dited unsellg service for the victims and fai of those who lost loved on bee of homophobiaHistory mt never repeatMr Parkhill said homophobia was mon among all ernment agenci at the time of the attacks, not jt the police. ACON chief executive Nick Parkhill (ABC News: Mark Reddie)"There is a ncern, then and now, that the police didn't do enough to rpond and therefore we really need an external body to vtigate the unsolved s, " he years ago, NSW Police lnched Operatn Parabel to vtigate the police handlg of the gay hate crim.

Steps lead upwards to the rocky Mackenzi Pot headland and Marks cliffs at South Jam BrickwoodWe live close but we don't know that after nightfall this is a place equently vised by adolcent gangs of gay bashers or that gay murrs have already occurred the top of the steps is a light blue handkerchief. Even the High Court acunt of the murr se ignor the events of Saturday morng and mov om the asslt to Sunday, sayg that this was when the other victim me forward to report what had the years later the gay bashers and their iends are their 40s and their victims probably their 50s.

SYDNEY MAN GETS 12 YEARS FOR MURRG GAY AMERIN 1988

A bid by New South Wal police to exclu a high-profile killg om a gay hate quiry has been ath of US mathematician Stt Johnson is one of dozens of s unr the spotlight at a special missn of quiry to spected gay hate crim Sydney between 1970 and 27-year-old died after he was punched at a gay beat on Sydney’s northern beach.

In the latt velopment, Stt Phillip Whe plead guilty to throwg the punch that ultimately ed Johnson to fall to his month, jtice Robert Beech-Jon dismissed “what appears to be an absurd suggtn [by police] that Dr Johnson killed himself” when sentencg Whe to ne years past newsletter promotnafter newsletter promotnNSW police had argued Johnson’s ath was outsi the current quiry’s terms of reference on the basis the matter was not unsolved, the man rponsible for his ath intified as gay and a sentencg judge did not fd the ath to be motivated by gay the quiry’s missner, jtice John Sackar, on Tuday led s terms of reference were much wir and answers to qutns such as how and why Johnson died were still not urt did not make a fdg beyond reasonable doubt that Whe was motivated by gay hate, but did not le out the possibily, he is due to hand down his fal report next month. Whe was 18 and homels when he met 27-year-old Los Angel-born Johnson at a bar suburban Manly December 1988 and went wh him to a nearby cliff top at North ’s former wife Helen Whe told police 2019 that her then-hband had bragged about beatg gay men and had said the only good gay man was a ad gay told the urt on Monday that her hband had told her Johnson had n off the cliff. When he was ferretg through old police reports back 2000 as Sydney partied durg the Olympics, Detective Sergeant Steve Page had no ia he was about to lnch the most tensive vtigatn to gay hate murrs ever nducted his vtigatn – named Operatn Taradale – centred on the myster aths of weatherman and newsrear Ross Warren and barman John Rsell on the Bondi clifftops 1989, and the disappearance of French natnal Gill Mattai the same lotn four years earlier, revealed a much wir pattern of evil and sensels vlence directed at gay men across Sydney at the time.

Bee of police difference and actn the late 1980s, gangs of young men uld roam the clifftops on the southern headland at Bondi, bashg and killg gay men wh virtual impuny, wh ltle fear of the long arm of the law tchg up wh one killg on the headland at this time, of Thai natnal Krchikorn Rattanjurathaporn, rulted a murr nvictn and years behd bars for the three young killers.

INVTIGATN REVEALED EVIL AND VLENCE DIRECTED AT GAY MEN ACROSS SYDNEY

When I asked Page, who qu the force back 2005, to expla his prcipal motive pursug the ground-breakg Taradale vtigatn, which would nsume nearly five years of his life, he replied: “I wanted to look the parents of the men the eye, knowg I had done all that was possible” Thompson, a former state Ombudsman’s vtigator who joed the police force January 1990 to liaise wh the gay and lbian muny, scribed the cliffs at Bondi, topped by Marks Park, as the perfect killg field. Operatn Taradale led to an qut 2005, which found the origal 1989 vtigatns to the aths of Rsell and Warren by the Bondi police were “disgraceful” and “lackltre” State Coroner Jacquele Milledge clared Page’s vtigatn “will provi an excellent source of evince should other matters e to light” rults of Page’s vtigatn are still reverberatg, wh a parliamentary quiry to gay and transgenr hate crim between 1970 and 2010 released earlier this year.

LoadgThe quiry ma a number of remendatns, cludg a judicial missn of quiry wh vtigative powers to look to the rpons of the NSW jtice system to the long epimic of anti-gay murrs and he lnched his vtigatn 2000, Page was seekg posthumo jtice for the victims’ the ghosts of Warren and Rsell aren’t que settled Morng Edn newsletter is our gui to the day’s most important and tertg stori, analysis and sights. Former Atralian officials have said the police at that time were often hostile toward gay men and did not properly vtigate their Johnson hired an vtigative journalist to look to his brother’s se after he beme aware of a 2005 qut to the aths of three men om the same perd unr siar circumstanc. An elrly man om Victoria has been charged wh the murr of a father almost 35 years ago what police say was a gay-hate crime based on a false perceptn of his sexual pots:Raymond Keam died om severe head juri 1987The alleged murr was examed by a taskforce set up to vtigate gay hate motivThe AIDS Council of NSW said was a step closer to jtice for other victimsStan Early, 75, was arrted at a home Melbourne's south-east and was extraded across the NSW borr, where he spent the night behd bars at Albury Police allege the Clayton man was rponsible for the ath of Raymond Keam, 43, whose body was found grass at Alison Park Randwick January 1987.

ATRALIAN MAN IS CONVICTED OF KILLG GAY AMERIN 1980S

(Supplied)The martial arts expert died om "severe head juri", wh a 1988 ronial qut revealg he was likely stck by a person or persons alleged murr was examed by tectiv om Strike Force taskforce was set up to vtigate whether there was a gay-hate motive behd the aths of 88 men between 1976 and 2000 — cludg that of Stt Johnson. The murrs were part of a much wir wave of vlent hate crim as gangs of youths roamed Sydney's ner suburbs randomly bashg and killg gay men for productn, box office & pany PhotosBe the first to reviewContribute to this pageSuggt an ed or add missg ntentEd pageMore to exploreRecently viewedYou have no recently viewed pag.

The bter tensns between the two men who loved Stt Johnson most, his brother and his lover, have been playg out a Sydney urtroom more than 28 years after the young Amerin plummeted to his ath om a cliff at North ’s naked body was found on the rocks near Manly December 1988 and Boston-based Steve Johnson believ his younger brother was phed, hound or ightened off the 60-metre cliff amid a succsn of gay-hate murrs Sydney the late 1980s and early Wednday, at the extraordary third qut to Stt’s ath, Johnson watched as his brother’s Atralian partner, Michael Noone, scribed the young mathematician’s trmatic attempts to tell Steve he was also relled Stt tellg him that he had been tempted to throw himself om the Goln Gate Bridge followg an fily 1985, the send year of their, a milogist who now liv Boston, told the state roner, Michael Barn: “He related to me that he had some kd of sexual adventure wh somebody and he was nvced he had ntracted Aids or exposed himself to the vis.

‘COLD SE’ GAY MURRS: TWO BOOKS ILLUMATE ATRALIA’S DARK HISTORY OF POLICE AND ARY VLENCE

Johnson’s team disvered that the area where Stt died on North Head, like Marks Park on the Bondi-Tamarama cliffs, was a “gay beat” – a place where men met for now acknowledge this is the se but at the time Manly tective sergeant Doreen Cickshank advised the first roner that was not a place where gay men gathered. New South Wal police’s Operatn Parrabell is yet to report on s review of 88 aths – a batn of Tomsen’s work and that of former police gay liaison -ordator Sue Thompson – to see how many might f the gay-hate urt, Noone stood by his asssment of Stt’s character at the time of his ath – that there was nothg to alert him to his beg his first terview wh police 1988, Noone had scribed himself as Stt’s “very good iend” rather than his partner bee he did not want them to shut down the se, dismissg Stt as a “shy, geeky person who suicid”.

He was worried that their knowg Stt was gay might be a “trigger for some kd of discrimatory actn” yet Stt was pafully shy, Noone said on Wednday, and teractg wh people was a major trma for also said Stt was extremely close to his brother but g out to him as gay was a “ght” discsn for months. Photograph: Pl Miller/AAPIn earlier evince, a former regular er of the North Head beat, Gordon Sharp, gave a fascatg sight to the beat culture, the bashgs of gay men at North Head and their reluctance to report the crim to police – bee the police were only likely to give them another beatg.

BLOODSPORT: THE BONDI GAY MURRS

Police released the fdgs of Strikeforce Parrabell on Wednday, which found eight aths between 1976 and 2000 were the rult of gay-hate crimA further 19 men are spected to have died siarly btal attacks while another 25 uld not be led out, Parrabell of the spected gay hate killgs rema unsolved and 23 of the 88 s are now back wh the unsolved homici Johnson was found ad on the rocks below the North Head Manly 1988.

Source: AAPFrom the 1970s gay men were found sla parks, hom or washed onto sharp rocks below Sydney's seclud gay cy's buddg LGBTQI+ muny was beg targeted while much of the muny looked vlence reached a bloody crcendo the late 1980s and early 1990s fuelled by a "moral panic" triggered by the HIV remendatns have been ma by NSW Police to improve how the force vtigat potential gay-hate crim, but a peak LGBTQI+ body qutns if reforms go far enough. "Please unrstand that Strike Force Parabell is not a ment upon the level of vlence or hatred or motivatns agast the LGBTQI+ or gay-lbian muny the '70s, '80s, '90s, " Asst Com Cranll to 20 asslts took place each day but unsympathetic elements of the police and judiciary meant most attacks were never reported or Force Parrabell's goal was to "do all that is possible" to heal the rift that grew between police and the LGBTIQ muny those s. A further 19 aths are spected of gay hate crim and five of those rema them was 25-year-old newsrear Ross Warren whose keys were found at the base of a cliff at a Tamarama gay beat body was never found but homophobic youths were known to be lnchg attacks on gay men the area to assert masculy or as a gang Warren, a 25-year-old televisn newsrear wh WIN Wollongong who went missg near Marks Park at Tamarama Sydney July 1989.

Source: NSW POLICE MEDIAThe puty state roner, 2005, led Mr Warren was a homici Johnson, who was found ad on the rocks below North Head's gay beat 1988, is also a spected ath, like many others, was led a suici by an early Parrabell, like the latt ronial lg 2017, saw enough evince to le homophobic attackers may have thrown or chased him off the 34 s had no evince of bias while the remag 25 had sufficient evince for classifitn - but uld not be led church, state and medil world classified homosexualy as a s, crime, and disease rpectively durg much of this support anisatn ACON weled Parrabell's fdgs, but the group's CEO Nilas Parkhill said the remendatns sentially rerce existg polici, and he lled for police to bolster the Bias Crim Un to protect the LGBTIQ Parkhill wants a broar pennt review to the crimal jtice system's handlg of the unr-siege muny the vlent s. A special missn heard evince on Wednday regardg unsolved aths tied to more than 40 years of anti-gay hate crim Atralia's most populo state, where police were notorly different to such Special Commissn of Inquiry to LGBTIQ Hate Crim New South Wal is the "first of s kd anywhere the world, " a lawyer assistg the quiry, Peter Gray, said at the hearg's outset Sydney.

STT JOHNSON, SYDNEY'S GAY-HATE MURRS AND THE TWO MEN WHO LOVED HIM MOST

Vlence agast gay men Sydney was particularly prevalent om the mid-1980s until the early 1990s due to creased hostily and fear stemmg om the AIDS epimic, acrdg to a prev report by ACON, a nonprof anizatn that foc on health issu affectg LGBTQ people and people livg wh half of the 88 "gay hate" and "anti-gay bias" aths New South Wal between 1976 and 2000 occurred that perd, the report clu Stt Johnson, a 27-year-old Los Angel-born mathematician whose fatal fall om a Sydney clifftop 1988 was ially dismissed by police as killer, Stt Whe, 52, was sentenced May to 12 years prison after pleadg guilty to murr. Atralian attus toward LGBTQ people changed rapidly the late 20th 1958, then-New South Wal Police Commissner Col Delaney scribed homosexualy as the "greatt social menace" state crimalized gay sex 1984 but enacted a so-lled "gay panic fense" to charg of murr and other vlent crim until 2014. That quiry found the police force "failed s rponsibili to properly vtigate s of historil gay and transgenr hate crime, " unrmg LGTBQ nfince the crimal jtice quiry last year remend the tablishment of the current judicial quiry wh powers to force wns to new quiry, led by New South Wal Supreme Court Jtice John Sackar, will re-exame the 86 aths durg the 24-year wdow and make s own termatn about which on rema quiry has also examed New South Wal fil of more than 700 unsolved murrs and more than 500 missg persons om 1970 until 2010 for potential gay hate and anti-gay bias quiry mt report by June 30.

But as the spree of anti-gay vlence and murr lat across Sydney, the LGBTQ muny starts to fight back: om stagg a mass monstratn at the gat of state parliament, to street patrols along Oxford Street, to angry activists splatterg red pat over public than a later, as Detective Sergeant Steve Page reviews the ld s of the disappearanc and murrs on the Bondi headland, he begs to jo the dots wh other killgs across Sydney the late 1980s and early for privacy rmatn.

CANBERRA, Atralia (AP) — An appeals urt on Friday overturned the nvictn of a man who temporarily admted murrg an Amerin who fell to his ath 1988 om a Sydney cliff top that was known as a gay meetg Whe, 52, was sentenced May to 12 years and seven months prison for the murr of 27-year-old mathematician Stt had surprised his lawyers by pleadg guilty to murr durg a pre-trial urt hearg January.

'MISTAK MA': POLICE NSIR FORMAL APOLOGY FOR SYDNEY GAY HATE CRIMA REVIEW OF 88 SYDNEY MURRS HAS REVEALED 27 MEN WERE LIKELY MURRED SIMPLY FOR BEG GAY, WH NSW POLICE SAYG THEY N "LEARN OM THE PAST".STT JOHNSON'S 1988 MURR IS ONE OF 88 SPECTED HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKS TO BE REVIEWED BY NSW POLICE. SOURCE: AAPA REVIEW OF 88 SPIC ATHS HAS REVEALED 27 GAY MEN LOST THEIR LIV TO HOMOPHOBIC KILLERS DURG A VLENT AND DARK PERD OF SYDNEY'S HISTORY – AND THE NSW POLICE FORCE IS NSIRG ISSUG A FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE VICTIMS. POLICE RELEASED THE FDGS OF STRIKEFORCE PARRABELL ON WEDNDAY, WHICH FOUND EIGHT ATHS BETWEEN 1976 AND 2000 WERE THE RULT OF GAY-HATE CRIMA FURTHER 19 MEN ARE SPECTED TO HAVE DIED SIARLY BTAL ATTACKS WHILE ANOTHER 25 ULD NOT BE LED OUT, PARRABELL NCLUD.FIVE OF THE SPECTED GAY HATE KILLGS REMA UNSOLVED AND 23 OF THE 88 S ARE NOW BACK WH THE UNSOLVED HOMICI UN.STT JOHNSON WAS FOUND AD ON THE ROCKS BELOW THE NORTH HEAD MANLY 1988. SOURCE: AAPFROM THE 1970S GAY MEN WERE FOUND SLA PARKS, HOM OR WASHED ONTO SHARP ROCKS BELOW SYDNEY'S SECLUD GAY BEATS.THE CY'S BUDDG LGBTQI+ MUNY WAS BEG TARGETED WHILE MUCH OF THE MUNY LOOKED AWAY.THE VLENCE REACHED A BLOODY CRCENDO THE LATE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S FUELLED BY A "MORAL PANIC" TRIGGERED BY THE HIV EPIMIC.TWELVE REMENDATNS HAVE BEEN MA BY NSW POLICE TO IMPROVE HOW THE FORCE VTIGAT POTENTIAL GAY-HATE CRIM, BUT A PEAK LGBTQI+ BODY QUTNS IF REFORMS GO FAR ENOUGH."WE ACCEPT THAT THERE WERE MISTAK MA. WE ACCEPT THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRED. WE ACCEPT THAT WE N LEARN OM THE PAST AND WE N DO BETTER," ASSISTANT COMMISSNER TONY CRANLL TOLD REPORTERS SYDNEY AT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE FDGS."WE BELIEVE THAT THE MUNY EXPECTATN OF POLICE TODAY AND ALWAYS IS TO NDUCT THOROUGH VTIGATNS WHEN TO THE ATH OF SOMEBODY, WHETHER THAT BE OM A FAY OR MUNY PERSPECTIVE, AND WE MT LIVE UP TO THAT STANDARD."PLEASE UNRSTAND THAT STRIKE FORCE PARABELL IS NOT A MENT UPON THE LEVEL OF VLENCE OR HATRED OR MOTIVATNS AGAST THE LGBTQI+ OR GAY-LBIAN MUNY THE '70S, '80S, '90S," ASST COM CRANLL SAID.READ MOREWORLD CUP 'SAFE SPACE' FOR LGBTQI+ MUNY SHUT DOWN ST PETERSBURG  UP TO 20 ASSLTS TOOK PLACE EACH DAY BUT UNSYMPATHETIC ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE AND JUDICIARY MEANT MOST ATTACKS WERE NEVER REPORTED OR VTIGATED.STRIKE FORCE PARRABELL'S GOAL WAS TO "DO ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE" TO HEAL THE RIFT THAT GREW BETWEEN POLICE AND THE LGBTIQ MUNY THOSE S.A TEAM OF POLICE VTIGATORS AND PENNT AMICS OM FLRS UNIVERSY LOOKED AT WHETHER ATTACKERS HAD SHOWN EVINCE OF GAY-HATE MOTIVATN.THEY REACHED DIFFERENT NCLNS SOME S BUT AGREED EIGHT ATHS WERE THE RULT OF GAY HATE.ALL EIGHT HAVE BEEN SOLVED - THE KILLERS WERE CHARGED AND NVICTED.A FURTHER 19 ATHS ARE SPECTED OF GAY HATE CRIM AND FIVE OF THOSE REMA UNSOLVED.AMONG THEM WAS 25-YEAR-OLD NEWSREAR ROSS WARREN WHOSE KEYS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF AT A TAMARAMA GAY BEAT 1989.HIS BODY WAS NEVER FOUND BUT HOMOPHOBIC YOUTHS WERE KNOWN TO BE LNCHG ATTACKS ON GAY MEN THE AREA TO ASSERT MASCULY OR AS A GANG IATN.ROSS WARREN, A 25-YEAR-OLD TELEVISN NEWSREAR WH WIN WOLLONGONG WHO WENT MISSG NEAR MARKS PARK AT TAMARAMA SYDNEY JULY 1989. SOURCE: NSW POLICE MEDIATHE PUTY STATE RONER, 2005, LED MR WARREN WAS A HOMICI VICTIM.STT JOHNSON, WHO WAS FOUND AD ON THE ROCKS BELOW NORTH HEAD'S GAY BEAT 1988, IS ALSO A SPECTED VICTIM.HIS ATH, LIKE MANY OTHERS, WAS LED A SUICI BY AN EARLY QUT.BUT PARRABELL, LIKE THE LATT RONIAL LG 2017, SAW ENOUGH EVINCE TO LE HOMOPHOBIC ATTACKERS MAY HAVE THROWN OR CHASED HIM OFF THE CLIFF.ONLY 34 S HAD NO EVINCE OF BIAS WHILE THE REMAG 25 HAD SUFFICIENT EVINCE FOR CLASSIFITN - BUT ULD NOT BE LED OUT.THE CHURCH, STATE AND MEDIL WORLD CLASSIFIED HOMOSEXUALY AS A S, CRIME, AND DISEASE RPECTIVELY DURG MUCH OF THIS PERD.HIV SUPPORT ANISATN ACON WELED PARRABELL'S FDGS, BUT THE GROUP'S CEO NILAS PARKHILL SAID THE REMENDATNS SENTIALLY RERCE EXISTG POLICI, AND HE LLED FOR POLICE TO BOLSTER THE BIAS CRIM UN TO PROTECT THE LGBTIQ MUNY.MR PARKHILL WANTS A BROAR PENNT REVIEW TO THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM'S HANDLG OF THE UNR-SIEGE MUNY THE VLENT S."CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED THE PAST ABOUT WHETHER THE POLICE N OBJECTIVELY REVIEW THEMSELV AND THEIR PRACTIC," HE SAID.ASST COM TONY CRANLL VOWED TO NEVER LET HISTORY REPEAT SELF.NSW POLICE, ON WEDNDAY, ACKNOWLEDGED HAD BEEN NO BETTER - BUT WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD.IT'S IMPORTANT NSW POLICE ACKNOWLEDGE S PART HISTORY," ASSISTANT COMMISSNER TONY CRANLL TOLD REPORTERS SYDNEY ON TUDAY."IF YOU FAIL TO HAVE A THOROUGH VTIGATN EVEN ONE ATH AFFECTS THEM ALL."PARRABELL STOPPED SHORT OF TAKG UP ACON'S REMENDATN OF AN APOLOGY - BUT MR PARKHILL REIGNED THE LL."THIS WOULD SEND A POSIVE SIGN TO ANY SAME-SEX ATTRACTED UPLE WHO ARE STILL TOO IGHTENED TO HOLD HANDS MANY PLAC AROUND THE STATE FOR FEAR OF VLENCE," HE SAID.AAP UNRSTANDS POLICE LEARSHIP WILL NSIR AN APOLOGY.SHARE5 M READPUBLISHED 27 JUNE 2018 7:10AMUPDATED 27 JUNE 2018 8:34PMSHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS

COMMISSN VTIGAT FOUR S OF UNSOLVED ANTI-GAY KILLGS ATRALIA

SYDNEY MURR NVICTN FOR GAY AMERIN’S ATH OVERTURNED