The prosecution gap: Why forced marriage and hate crime convictions remain so rare in Australia compared to the UK

24th April 2026Kavitha Vipulananda, Strategy and reform consultant

A decade after forced marriage was first criminalised and more than 30 years after state-level hate crime legislation was introduced, rates of prosecution in Australia remain low compared to the UK; strategy and reform consultant Kavitha Vipulananda explores the differences in approach between the two jurisdictions, and suggests four steps Australia could take to improve outcomes for victim-survivors of both offences.

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The prosecution gap: Why forced marriage and hate crime convictions remain so rare in Australia compared to the UK

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