Strike Force Irrabella Set Up to Investigate Domestic Violence Allegations Against Former South Sydney Rabbitohs Player

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It is reported that a strike force has been set up solely for the purpose of investigating allegations of domestic violence and drugs in respect of Sam Burgess, the previous South Sydney Rabbitohs player.

The strike force is reportedly called Strike Force Irrabella.

Reported in The Australian, prior to the elimination final game against Newcastle Knights, Sam stood down from his role as development coach with the South Sydney Rabbitohs club.

Accusations of domestic violence and drugs have been denied by Sam. This is despite his father-in-law accusing Sam of behaving violent on an occasion in November 2018 against his pregnant daughter Phoebe.

His father-in-law says that his claims against Sam are based on a witness account.

On another note, 36-year-old Eleitino Alesana claims that she is being ordered to return back to Victoria where she will be subjected to domestic violence after she illegally entered South Australia.

Alesana, whilst pregnant, was erroneously granted permission to enter SA, which she subsequently entered despite authorities revoking her permission.

Upon her arrival at the Adelaide Airport on 25 September, she didn’t have the requisite documentation. She was then escorted to a hotel where she was required to wait for a return flight back. However, she refused to travel back to the airport.

Alesana has claimed that her life is in danger due to a domestic violence incident that occurred in Victoria when Victorian police were contacted. She claims that she was advised by police at the time that she could move interstate if she was fearful of her life.

Despite these claims, prosecutor Senior Sergeant First Class Craig Wolfe has said that there is no such record of a domestic violence allegation.

As a result, she has been charged with failing to comply with a direction.

The court granted her bail to the hotel, but also ordered that she be escorted with officers to the airport within 48 hours to board a flight back to Victoria.

Her court proceedings have been adjourned to December of this year.

Domestic violence statistics reveal that family and domestic violence is a prevalent issue across our nation.

The statistics of domestic violence against women appear to be much more prevalent than domestic violence against men, according to a 2013 survey conducted by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR).

What is domestic violence? A domestic violence offence is where a personal violence offence takes place in the context of a domestic relationship. A personal violence offence is defined in section 4 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), as including common assault, stalk, intimidation, breach of AVO, assaults occasioning ABH/GBH, sexual assault, damage/destroy property.

A domestic relationship is a current or former relationship of, for example, marriage, de facto, intimate relationship, housemate, or relative.

The types of domestic violence include breaches of AVO, stalk/intimidate, assaults, using carriage service to harass, threaten, offend or menace etc.

Domestic violence penalties are generally harsher than non-domestic violence penalties imposed by courts due to section 4A of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW). This section basically requires sentencing Magistrates or Judges to impose Full time jail or a supervised order penalty on sentence for domestic violence offences.

The maximum penalties for domestic violence ranges from 2-years to life imprisonment, depending on the type of domestic violence offence, its objective criminality and subjective features of the case.

Have a question on this law topic? get in touch with our experienced domestic violence lawyers in Sydney to book a free initial consult today.

Published on 05/10/2020