82 Violent Offenders Banned From Entering Entertainment Precincts in WA

An empty restaurant in the normally busy Elizabeth Quay area in Perth, Australia, on Jan. 31, 2021. Trevor Collens/AFP via Getty Images

Dozens of violent and anti-social offenders have been prohibited from accessing five Protected Entertainment Precincts (PEPs) in Western Australia.

This is the result of the state government’s one-year crackdown on violent offences in major entertainment areas after it introduced new laws in 2022.

According to government data, since the laws came into effect on Dec. 24, 2022, police have issued 62 short-term bans to offenders, while the director of liquor licensing has imposed an extended ban of up to five years on two individuals.

In addition, 18 people were subject to a mandatory five-year ban after they were convicted of specified offences in a PEP.

Western Australian Police and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said the laws were making entertainment precincts a safer place for the state’s residents.

“It’s encouraging to see the new laws have been highly effective in keeping so many offenders out of the five popular areas, allowing people to safely enjoy their night out with the reduced risk of encountering violent or anti-social behaviour,” he said in a statement.

“We want Perth’s popular night spots to be free of thugs, and Protected Entertainment Precincts are helping to achieve that objective.

“Our vibrant entertainment areas should be safe places where there is a fun and relaxed atmosphere that isn’t ruined by criminals.”

How PEP Laws Work

Under the laws, police can issue exclusion orders of up to six months to people who display disruptive, violent, or threatening behaviour in the prescribed precincts of Perth CBD-Northbridge, Fremantle, Scarborough, Hillarys or Mandurah.

The director of liquor licensing can issue extended exclusion orders of up to five years on application by the Commissioner of Police.

Furthermore, those convicted of violent or sexual offences, including drink-spiking, in public places within a PEP will be imposed a mandatory five-year exclusion.

If a person violates a short-term or extended exclusion order, he or she could face up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of $12,000 (US$8,150).

The penalty for breaching a mandatory exclusion order is a $12,000 fine and up to five years of imprisonment.

The PEP laws were named in honour of Giuseppe ‘Pep’ Raco, a nightclub manager who died after suffering an unprovoked one-punch attack in Northbridge in July 2020.

Mr. Raco’s death prompted his family to run a campaign to strengthen laws around violent offences in entertainment precincts.

The campaign got the attention of the state government, which later invited Mr. Raco’s family to help develop the new legislation.

Concerns About PEP Laws

While the state government claimed PEP laws would make entertainment precincts safer, some questioned the necessity of such laws.

Criminal defence lawyer Laura Willox said it was illogical for the government to claim that laws would prevent crime without tackling the underlying issues behind the offences.

“You can clean up the streets of the convicted offender, only to wait for the next anti-social person who has never been convicted of such an offence to come along and commit a violent type of offence for the first time,” she told ABC Radio.

“People who commit these offences whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs aren’t really thinking about what the consequences of their actions are going to be, unfortunately.

“Harsher penalties do not result in people committing less crimes. Unfortunately, that is the reality.”

Some law groups were concerned about the lack of oversight of short-term bans, while advocacy groups feared that the measure would be used to target homeless people.