Bridget Andresen `Historical Rape Trials in Post-war Queensland, 1945-1955'

Content warning: sexual violence

The issue of sexual violence has arguably never been more visible in global society than it is today, and has been the focus of extensive interdisciplinary research. Historians have made crucial contributions to this discussion by placing cases in their historical context and have traced changing attitudes and the applications of laws over time. In doing so, it has been possible to highlight long-standing issues in the structures of policing and the criminal justice system, as well as the impact of reductive and stereotyped ideas about sexual violence on cases, victims, and defendants.

This paper presents key findings from an investigation into adult rape trials in post-war Queensland, 1945-1955. Though Queensland’s legislation and justice system did not widely differ from other Australian jurisdictions in this period, a close reading of court material has highlighted the state’s unique experience of the policing and prosecution processes. I argue that Queensland’s vast geography impacted investigations outside of metropolitan centres because of access issues to skilled police and medical professionals. Across the state, cases were finalised in a fraction of the time they are today, with police conducting only very brief investigations, and trials lasting only one to two days. Additionally, the cases that were brought to trial seemingly legitimised broader stereotypes about sexual violence, as they reflective only a particular ‘type’ of rape.