We are currently receiving many inquiries about an Australian law that imposes a six-month prison sentence for attacks on police officers, paramedics and firefighters.
A photographed article from a daily newspaper is often shared:

“Are we doing enough for our police?
In Australia, anyone who actively touches a police officer, paramedic or firefighter while carrying out their duties will inevitably receive six months in prison. The judges have no discretion and are not allowed to grant probation.”
This picture is also spreading in this context:

What exactly does the law say?
The Crimes Act 1958 (Vic)(Crime Law Victoria) provides that if a victim of a crime was a rescue worker, it is to be classified as Category One. In making this assignment the court must decide the sentence in accordance with section two of Part 3 of the Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic) (Sentencing Code Victoria). Section 10AA lists the penalties for assaulting, etc. emergency workers, custodial officers and youth justice custodial workers on duty. Emergency workers include paramedics, police officers and firefighters]. Paragraph 10AA(4) states:
“In sentencing an offender (whether on appeal or otherwise) for an offense against section 18 of the Crimes Act 1958 committed against an emergency worker on duty, a custodial officer on duty or a youth justice custodial worker on duty, a court must impose a term of imprisonment of not less than 6 months unless the court finds under section 10A that a special reason exists.”
In German:
“On convicting an offender (whether on appeal or otherwise) of an offense contrary to section 18 of the Crimes Act 1958 committed against emergency services officers on duty, correctional officers on duty and juvenile corrections officers on duty, the court must impose a sentence of imprisonment of not less than six months, except the court finds that there are special reasons under section 10A.”
Section 18 covers both intentional and negligent injury (except serious injury, which falls under sections 16 and 17). The reasons mentioned relate, among other things, to mental illness or the influence of drugs. However, there is currently discussion about tightening the law, which should tighten up the special reasons, as there have been increasing attacks on rescue personnel recently. For example, the age of the offender (if he or she is between 18 and 21) will no longer be covered by Section 10A.
What does that mean?
The newspaper article only tells half the truth . Yes, there is a six-month minimum prison sentence, BUT : this applies to injuries and not to “active touching” (whatever that means), and there may be mitigating reasons (e.g. mental illness), as German law also provides.
You can read the laws here :
Crimes Act 1958
Sentencing Act 1991
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

