Australia Today English

08/11/2022

https://australiatoday.press/english/2022/11/08/dr-george-hatoum-raises-funds-for-families-in-need/

https://youtu.be/YGfQ1yvQlIE Dr. George Hatoum reached out to the families he liked to help. Respectfully he chose to help through the fundraising by preparing for a bike race. This was not the first time Dr. George Hatoum doing the fundraising for those who are in need, but he usually do it every y...

08/11/2022

https://youtu.be/YGfQ1yvQlIE

You support fathers and kids in need.

11/08/2022

Israel: Next Time there will not be a political truce
How Israel responds to military pressure from the Palestinian enclave and from Hezbollah, would be radically different if their patron Iran crosses the nuclear threshold

For two decades, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have fired tens of thousands of rockets indiscriminately at Israel’s civilian population, over 1,100 in the recent round alone. It is an unacceptable situation that no country would tolerate. Unfortunately, it is also one of a number of “unacceptable” situations that Israel has had to accept over the years.

Some 40 years after the threat first emerged, Israel still does not have an effective offensive capability to prevent and suppress rocket fire. While offensive operations have gradually diminished the threat in each conflict and imposed costs on Gaza that ultimately forced Hamas or Islamic Jihad to accept a cease-fire, Israel has had to rely on defense, primarily Iron Dome.

The number of casualties Israel suffers in each around is small, but the disruption to national life, hardening effects on public opinion, and costs to Israel’s international standing are not.

After repeated rounds in Gaza, it is abundantly clear that there is no purely military solution to the problem and that – the right’s self-delusions notwithstanding – the Palestinian issue cannot be wished away, even after the Abraham Accords. It is not that Israel cannot defeat Islamic Jihad, Hamas (or Hezbollah). It can. It is that the cost of doing so and of “solving” the problem, as suggested by some of our verbally nimble but cerebrally leaden political leaders, exceeds the magnitude of the threat.

To effectively counter the rocket threat, Israel would have to occupy all of Gaza, or Lebanon, spend months rooting out the rockets, and lose hundreds of soldiers in the process, all for what would probably be a short-lived benefit: Once Israel withdraws, the rocket arsenal would likely be rebuilt rapidly.

As painful as the rocket threat is, primarily for those who live near Gaza, the remedy is still worse than the illness. We may ultimately have no other recourse, but there is a reason that all of the governments in office since the threat emerged – Sharon, Olmert, Netanyahu, Lapid; left, right, and center – have abjured a major operation designed to “solve” the problem and limited themselves to limited ones to mitigate it.

If there is no purely military solution to Gaza, the even worse news is that there is no purely political one either – the left’s self-delusions notwithstanding – that peace would be achievable if Israel would just make further concessions. Without significant progress toward peace, the problem will certainly not end, but even that may not suffice.

11/08/2022

Xiao Qian condemns U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
Xiao Qian addressed National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, where he spoke about the long-term of the Australian-Chinese relationship.

Mr. Xiao, who was appointed to his diplomatic post in January, delivered his speech against the backdrop of escalating tensions within the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing launched unprecedented military drills within the Taiwan Strait within the South China Sea following Ms. Pelosi’s visit.

Mr. Xiao on Wednesday said her trip to Taiwan was a “serious violation of the one-China principle and violation of the provisions of the three China US-China communique”.

“Speaker Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan region in disregard of China’s strong opposition, making it clear to the world it absolutely was the US side who first took provocative action to vary and undermine the established order,” Mr. Xiao said.

“And it is the US side that should and must take full responsibility for the escalation of tensions within the Taiwan Strait.”

Australia earlier the week joined the US and Japan in condemning Beijing’s military exercises within the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has maintained its actions within the scope of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity and has accused Australia of “violating the UN Charter”.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Australia was “grossly interfering” in China’s internal affairs and undermined regional peace and stability.

Australia currently adheres to a one-China policy, meaning it doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country but maintains unofficial contacts with Taipei promoting economic, trade, and cultural interests. Mr. Xiao said on Wednesday he hoped Australia would take the one-China principle “seriously”.

He said earlier in his speech that he felt very strongly about upholding people’s expectations for a “stable and friendly” relationship between the two countries.

50 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Mr. Xiao began his speech with an upbeat reflection on the 50-year diplomatic relationship between Australia and China.

“If you recall at the past 50 years, we have, indeed, made great achievements in developing our bilateral relations,” he said.

“Friendship and mutual trust are constantly enhanced.

“The progress in practical co-operation has been incredibly outstanding.”

Mr. Xiao said China had been Australia’s largest trading partner since 2009 and made up quite 34 percent of Australia’s total imports and export in 2021.

He noted that, since 2018, China had been Australia’s main provider of international tourists, with over 1,000,000 visitors spending over $10bn each year.

He said China continued to be the most important source of international students for Australia, accounting for about 28 percent of all international students in Australia.

DIFFICULTIES

Within the connection After highlighting the importance of economic cooperation between the two countries, Mr. Xiao said the link between Beijing and Canberra had become strained.

He said the connection in recent years had been “caught in an exceedingly difficult situation thanks to reasons known to all”.

“This has greatly impacted the bilateral exchange co-operation in various views and severely damaged the friendship between our two peoples,” he said “These are some things we didn’t want to see and it goes against the interests of our two countries and our two peoples.” But Mr Xiao said the change of national in Australia provided an opportunity to “reset” the link.

REPAIRING the link

Mr. Xiao spoke of the importance of both China and Australia taking steps to repair the link. He said he was encouraged by the restarting of diplomatic communications furthermore because of the recent meeting of the two nations’ foreign ministers on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Bali.

“These consensuses are significant for the long-term development of China-Australia relations,” he said.

“The positive progress in your bilateral relations is encouraging – is an encouraging start, and in the end, there’s lots of labor to be done.

“It’s vital for every side to make further efforts to remain the momentum, take actions for substantial progress, and to strive to bring our bilateral relations back on the proper track.”

Chinese secretary of state Wang Yi last month released an announcement detailing four “actions” by which Australia could improve its relationship with Beijing, after his meeting together with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Anthony Albanese said Australia “doesn’t reply to demands” when asked about the statement.

Mr. Xiao said on Wednesday disputed the concept that Mr. Wang‘s list had been one amongst demands, instead labeling it “proposals from the Chinese side”.

“It was proposals,” he said. “If you sit down with the Chinese version, it absolutely was hope and it’s not demanding as has been reported in certain media.”

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday that Australia wanted to stay up “the most effective relationship we can” with China.

“We would adore to figure out the link (with China) and be put in an exceedingly better place. While the govt. . has changed in Australia, our national interest hasn’t, which we'll still speak up for our national interests,” he said. “We will do this without concern or favor.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton warned that tensions in China were at such a high level that, at “any stage”, the drills could escalate to a “full-scale incursion”.

His comments come as an enclosed review of the Coalition’s election loss suggested Chinese-Australian voters turned removed from the party due to the Morrison government’s anti-China rhetoric.

11/08/2022

Dr. George Hatoum: What is Chronic Pain and How to Deal with it?
Dr. George Hatoum is a practicing physician who believes patient care should be the first priority. He is a general practitioner with specialized interests in chronic pain. Also, Dr. George Hatoum has been a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).
According to Dr. George Hatoum, acute and chronic pains are the two types. Acute pain alerts you to the fact that your body has been wounded. It doesn't generally last long. It should dissipate as your body heals. Chronic pain lasts far longer.
Chronic discomfort can last for months or years. Chronic discomfort might make it challenging to go about your everyday activities. People with chronic pain may also experience low self-esteem, sadness, and rage since the discomfort lasts so long. People with chronic pain are frequently experiencing depression and these emotions can sometimes exacerbate the pain.

Chronic pain symptoms
Chronic pain can affect any part of the body. As per Dr. George Hatoum, chronic pain patients may experience pain to any part of the body:
• Headaches
• Backache
• Cancer pain
• Arthritis pain in any joint
• Pain caused by nerve injury
According to Dr. George Hatoum, the pain can indeed be described as follows:
• A persistent aching
• Soreness
• Sometimes burning pain
• Other symptoms can occur in those who have chronic pain. These could include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, or mood swings.
What factors contribute to persistent pain?
Chronic pain can be caused by an old injury, infection, or any chronic disease. Sometimes the source of the pain is unknown.
According to Dr. George Hatoum, conditions that might cause or provoke chronic pain include:
• Infections
• Migraines or headaches
• Back issues (Osteoarthritis)
• Cancer
• Arthritis in any joint
• Fibromyalgia (Muscle pain)
• Damage to the nerves
• Prior surgery
• Pain, including chronic pain, is exacerbated by depression and stress.

Is it possible to prevent or avoid chronic pain?
Dr. George Hatoum maintains that chronic pain cannot be avoided in many circumstances. Some causes, like cancer, can be prevented in various ways. However, if you have chronic pain, there is always things you could do to reduce, control or even cure it if we can address the original cause.

Chronic pain treatment
Chronic pain treatment aims to reduce the pain and enhance your ability to function. There are numerous therapy options available. They usually do not relieve all of your pain. They can, however, lower the severity and frequency of your discomfort. Among the more prevalent therapies are:
Medicine
Pain relievers, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants are medications used to treat chronic pain. Different types of medications assist persons suffering from various forms of pain. If your doctor prescribes over-the-counter pain medicine, read and follow the package directions. Pain that comes and goes is treated with short-acting medications. For chronic pain, your doctor will usually recommend long-acting medications.
Dr. George Hatoum notes that prescription pain medication may be recommended by your doctor. Make sure you follow their directions on how to take the medication. Opioids are found in many prescription pain medications. Opioids can be helpful when used as prescribed. However, many people who abuse opioids develop an addiction. Opioid addiction is a significant health problem that can result in death. As such these medications are to be avoided in almost all chronic pain conditions.
Therapy
According to Dr. George Hatoum, several sorts of therapy can help you feel better:
• Physiotherapy to assist with stretching and muscle strengthening practices are part of physical therapy.
• Walking, swimming or riding are examples of low-impact exercises.
• Occupational therapy teaches you how and where to pace yourself and perform everyday chores in a new way. This assists you in reducing your discomfort or avoiding re-injury.
• Behavioral therapy- techniques for relaxing and reducing stress. Meditation, tai chi, or yoga could be among them.
• Treating the mental health issues that are linked to the chronic pain is essential.
Almost everything you do may help you regulate your discomfort to relax or distract yourself from your problems. Even if you are using pain medication, you should incorporate relaxing activities into your routine.
Relaxation can really alter the molecules in the body that cause pain. It may take several weeks of stress-reduction techniques before you see a reduction in discomfort. Your doctor can advise you on stress management and relaxation techniques.
Alternative and complementary medicine (CAM)
Some patients who suffer from chronic pain benefit from complementary and alternative therapy (CAM). These are treatments that are not commonly used in mainstream medicine. These therapies include acupuncture and massage. Before attempting any CAM procedures, consult with your family doctor, such as Dr George Hatoum.

According to Dr. George Hatoum, severe chronic pain may necessitate more invasive treatment. Electrical stimulation, nerve blocks, and surgery occasionally may be used. Chronic pain is usually incurable but frequently can be managed so it does not interfere with the quality of life. Speak with your doctor about the best way to manage your pain.

11/08/2022

Mum and son killed in ‘frenzied attack’ inside Brisbane home
Two people found dead at the top of a bloodied staircase in a home south of Brisbane after they were killed in an alleged “frenzied attack” have been identified as a mother and son.

The bodies of the victims, believed to be that of Jifeng “Eileen” Liu, 47, and her son Sam, in his early 20s, were found in their home near the end of a quiet Stretton cul-de-sac, The Courier Mail reported.

Police were called to the scene by a 49-year-old man who unlocked the front door and let police inside on Monday morning.
The man who alerted authorities to the incident has since been taken into custody.

Brisbane Region Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said officers were confronted by “large amounts of blood” on the staircase of the property at Coolidge Street when they arrived at the residence around 9.40am.
Superintendent Massingham said the bodies of a woman in her 40s and a man in his 20s were discovered in the home.

He described the scene as “traumatic” due to the amount of blood.

The other man, 49, had cuts to his arms and legs.

“The scene was confronting, it has been described as a frenzied attack on the two deceased persons,” Superintendent Massingham said.

“From the evidence within that area, the weapons seized and the observations of the deceased, it was quite evident the attack could be described accurately in that way (frenzied).”
Two bladed weapons believed to have been used in the attack have been recovered by police.

Multiple officers have swarmed the quiet street, with forensic officers spotted coming and going from the property and taking photographs.

Superintendent Massingham said the 49-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment.

He will later be subject to a forensic procedure order to take samples.
“Not much conversation was held between the male and the police that initially attended,” Superintendent Massingham said.

“We believe the male has a link to this address.

“As to whether the two victims are linked, we are still investigating.”

Superintendent Massingham said the man had exercised his right to silence and was “requesting a solicitor”.

He confirmed the man made the initial triple-0 call in the morning.
Superintendent Massingham said a Cantonese interpreter was initially needed to converse with the man.

“It was indicated he (the man) needed some assistance at that address,” he said.

Police are now calling for anyone with information or footage, including CCTV or dashcam vision, to come forward.

He told reporters there was no information from any neighbours indicating “anything had been heard”.

11/08/2022

Acting PM says our prosperity under threat by China’s influence
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles says our “prosperity” as a nation is under threat as China continues to be ever-present in the South China Sea.

The Deputy PM and Defence Minister, who is currently stepping in for the prime minister while he is on holiday, says we need to be focused on our national interests amid rising Chinese influence.

“We’ve just got to have a really clear-eyed focus, every moment, on where our national interest lies and speak to that,” he told Queensland radio station 4BC on Monday.

“Our national interest lies in the East China Sea and the South China Sea in what are the rules of the road … the global rules-based order.”

Mr Marles stressed 60 per cent of Australia’s trade is channelled through the South China Sea.

“In the South China Sea, China is trying to assert a whole lot of ideas which are pretty inconsistent with the rules of the road,” he said.

“Our prosperity is based on those rules and those rules being in place … is critically important for Australia.”

Mr Marles said while we need to be “respectful” we also need to “completely, unflinchingly speak to our national interest”.

“It is a challenging relationship,” he said.

The acting prime minister was also questioned about Labor’s climate bill, which was passed last week following the Greens’ pledge of support.

Minister Marles said he sees the ambitious policy, which includes two national greenhouse gas emissions targets – a 43 per cent cut below 2005 levels by 2030 – and a reduction to “net zero” by 2050 as “a floor, not a ceiling”.

He said Australians and Australian business had been waiting for the target, but that the government had to be “the mover”.

“Corporate Australia is crying out for this,” he said.

“Every business group out there was supportive of what we’ve done.”

Mr Marles said the development of the bill was centred around a goal to “upgrade our grid so that it is smarter”.
Questioned about Australia sending $17.7bn worth of coal overseas in June alone, and $88bn in gas in the financial year, Mr Marles said Australia was not responsible for the emissions created by other countries.

“Well, obviously what we sell to the rest of the world is accounted in a global sense in terms of emissions by the countries that purchase it, not by us, ” he said.

Mr Marles said if Australia was to stop exporting coal and gas, it would do little to global emissions.

“We would go broke … other suppliers would fill the gap,” he said.

“Were we to remove it, that would not help to reduce emissions at all. In fact, it may increase it.”

On aged care wages, the Defence Minister said we needed to be practical.

“We’re talking about a group of people who do important work … and they don’t get paid much money to do it,” he said.

“There is a question of fairness, but there is also a question of practicality.”

“We’ve got a real issue in retaining people in aged care and encouraging people to work in aged care, and if we want to do that going forward, people need to be paid a proper wage.”

He said he would be letting the Fair Work Commission decide what the wage rise in the sector should be.

Mr Marles is expected to be catching up with Queensland Aged Care Minister Anika Wells on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

11/08/2022

‘Calm down’: WA Premier Mark McGowan issues stern warning to China
China’s aggression after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan was “a bit over the top”, according to West Australian Premier Mark McGowan, who urged Beijing to “calm down”.

Ms Pelosi recently became the most senior US official to visit Taipei in decades and met with President Tsai Ing-wen, but it sparked outrage from China that does not recognise Taiwan as a nation.

Mr McGowan repeatedly clashed with the Morrison government – and especially former Defence Minister Peter Dutton – over their rhetoric towards China, which is WA’s biggest trading partner.

While he refused to say whether Ms Pelosi’s visit was appropriate, Mr McGowan said he was “obviously” concerned about tensions in the region.

“The reaction has been a bit over the top and I think there needs to be a calm down on the part of China,” Mr McGowan told reporters on Monday.

“I don’t know the circumstances as to why she went there … but I don’t think the reaction should have been as strong as it was.”

Since Ms Pelosi’s visit last week, the Chinese military has conducted sea and air exercises to show its ability to launch an attack on Taiwan.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has condemned China’s actions.

Meanwhile, Mr McGowan has backed WA Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia in pushing for a greater military presence in the state.

It comes after retired Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston and former defence minister Stephen Smith were chosen to review the Australian Defence Force’s capabilities.
Mr McGowan said having more army and air force teams in WA was appropriate “just in case in the long-term future something happened”.

“There’s huge amounts of army infrastructure and army units based in Victoria,” the Premier said.

“I would have thought that a more sensible deployment of those resources would be to WA.

“It’s not as though we’re going to be attacked by New Zealand.”

He then joked: “Well, maybe the All Blacks, but that’s about it … and they’re pretty fierce.”

Mr McGowan said he preferred most bases to be in Perth and the state’s south, but they should have “the capacity to deploy quickly” to the state’s north if required.

11/08/2022

Teal MP Sophie Scamps targets junk food advertising and marketing
A teal independent is pushing to change the way junk food advertising and marketing is regulated in a bid to stop Australia’s growing childhood obesity “epidemic”.

Sophie Scamps, who was a GP on Sydney’s northern beaches until recently becoming the MP for Mackellar, will put together a private member’s Bill to target fast-food advertisement and sponsorship.

The Bill is centred on the impact junk food has on children’s health, with Dr Scamps seeking to tackle the industry’s prevalent advertising during prime-time television, promotion on social media and its sponsorship of children’s sport.
“We do have an epidemic of overweight and obesity in this country and children are affected by that,” she told NCA NewsWire.

“We need to make the healthy food choices that parents are providing for their children the easy choice, we need to minimise that pester power.

“What I’m calling for really is a regulation of junk food advertising to children across TV and social media channels.”

Dr Scamps said childhood obesity not only creates issues for the individual involve, but the whole Australian health industry.

She said this makes taking preventive measures early on in people’s lives so important.

“Obesity and being overweight creates so many chronic diseases, everything from cancers, to diabetes, to heart disease, strokes, even depression,” she said.

“We also know with children that it's much harder to gain a normal weight into the future if you have the problem when you’re a child.
“You can see into the future there’ll be a massive burden of disease created by this epidemic. So we either act now or we start investing in our public hospital system.”

But junk-food advertising remains a fixture of any prime-time television viewing experience, and some of the industry’s biggest restaurant chains sponsor the largest sports codes and teams from around the country.

Dr Scamps said junk food advertising through sport can have a big impact on a child’s health choices.

“We know that sport does influence children's decisions, and we no longer advertise to***co or alcohol to sport,” she said.

It’s another thing to look at, who is advertising or children’s sport?
The National Obesity Strategy, which was released in March earlier this year, noted that Australians “are regularly exposed to unhealthy food and drink marketing”, which included multimedia advertising and sports sponsorship.

It revealed an average five to eight-year-old child who watches around 80 minutes of television per day is exposed to 827 advertisements and four hours of “unhealthy food advertising” each year on free-to-air television.

A key potential strategy in the 10-year framework is reducing “unhealthy food and drink advertising, branding and sponsorship” to stop childhood obesity.
While the Bill is in its “early stages”, Dr Scamps believed it would be supported by parents and other MPs.

“It’s a common sense measure, it’s something that there’s precedents for. Mindsets change quite quickly once they’re introduced,” she said.

“I think parents will welcome because parents want the best for their children. They want those healthy choices to be the easy choices, they don't want to be pestered at the checkout.

“As we‘ve seen, there’s a lot of doctors who are new in the parliament as well.”

The Bill has the support of the Obesity Policy Coalition, with the group’s executive manager Jane Martin calling for urgent action to improve children’s diet habits.

“Our children deserve to go about their daily lives without being bombarded by ads for unhealthy food and sugary drinks which is the wallpaper that surrounds their lives,” Ms Martin said.

“Kids should be free to enjoy their favourite prime-time TV shows like Lego Masters without seeing ads for cookies or attend their weekend footy or netball games without fast-food sponsorships.

“This marketing influences children’s diets and impacts what kids want to eat, what they ask for and shapes their palates from an early age.”

The practices of the advertising industry are generally self-regulated through the Australian Association of National Advertisers’ Ad Standards code.

The code was updated last year to stop images of junk food being used in sponsorship advertising targeting children.

11/08/2022

Fuel measures cost Aussies billions over six years at the bowser, new report finds
Australians could have saved billions in fuel costs and reduced emissions equivalent to a year’s worth of domestic flights if different fuel efficiency standards were adopted years before, a new report has found.

The dire findings come as the government’s fuel excise - a major cost-of-living relief measure to ease pressure at the bowser - nears its September end date.

Bickering has already erupted in the Senate over the excise ending, despite the former Coalition government voting months ago on when it would be axed.
The Australian Institute’s new report found $5.9 billion in fuel costs would have been saved if more robust efficiency standards were adopted in 2015.

That was the year a major a**lysis of the design and impact of fuel efficiency standards was conducted by the Federal Government.

The previous Labor government, led by Julia Gillard, in 2010 committed to introducing mandatory fuel efficiency standards for light vehicles but they were never adopted due to the government changing in 2013.

The report also found the standards would avoided nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide - similar to a year’s worth of domestic flights.

Australia could have imported 4000ML less oil if the measures were taken, the report’s authors state.

“In 2021, 91 per cent of all fuel consumed in Australia was imported – including 68 per cent imported as refined crude, while 71 per cent of fuel refined in Australia is imported as crude and condensate,” the report states.

“Three quarters (73 per cent) of Australia’s total liquid fuel demand is consumed by the transport sector and over half (54 per cent) is consumed by road transport alone.”
Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program Director at The Australian Institute, said regular Aussies were being left behind.

“As a nation, we are still accepting gas-guzzling cars with no emissions standards,” he said.

“This is costing commuters money at the petrol pump and holding Australia back from reducing our emissions.”

Fuel efficiency standards have been adopted in around 80 per cent of the global car market, but not in Australia.

“As the fuel excise cut nears an end, policymakers have an opportunity to save motorists money at the petrol pump by introducing an average efficiency standard for new cars in Australia,” Mr Merzian said.

“Australian motorists are the victims of having one of the world’s least efficient and most polluting car fleets, and it’s costing us every time we fill up at the petrol pump.”

Mr Merizan urged the current Federal Government to seriously consider the policy and bring fuel efficiency standards in line with Europe.

11/08/2022

‘Psychotic’: Terrorist’s brother felt entitled to r**e
The brother of one of Australia’s most infamous terrorists has received a hefty jail sentence after he repeatedly r**ed a woman and forced her to perform s*x acts on him until she vomited.

Arken Abdull Rahim Sharrouf, 35, appeared in Sydney Downing Centre District Court on Friday to learn his fate after he was found guilty of 24 counts of historical physical and s*xual abuse of a young woman in 2007 and 2008.

The court heard the victim was an “isolated and vulnerable” teenager during the two years Sharrouf subjected her to sickening s*xual and physical abuse.

After having s*x with the woman, Sharrouf forced her head onto his p***s and held it in place so she was unable to escape. The court heard he forced her to perform a s*x act on him until she vomited, which Judge Peter Whitmore said “would have been degrading, humiliating and likely terrifying for the victim”.
In another instance where he ordered her to perform a s*x act on him despite her “expressed revulsion”, the court heard the woman felt “‘dirty, horrific and disgusting”.

Sharrouf directed the woman to engage in vaginal and a**l s*x and pressured her to comply “out of fear of what might otherwise occur.”

The court heard he continually ignored her lack of consent, even continuing a s*x act while the woman was crying from the pain.

Sharrouf also physically abused the victim, including pulling her hair and beating her feet.

“The offences do however reflect the offender’s disdain in those moments for the rights and feelings of (the victim),” Judge Whitmore said.

“Many, if not all of the offences, involved an affront to the victim’s dignity. Certainly much of the offender’s conduct was calculated or intended to try and dominate or control the victim.”

Sharrouf was convicted of eight counts of s*xual in*******se without consent, aggravated s*xual assault inflicting actual bodily harm, and attempting to choke the woman with the intention of intimidating her.

The judge-alone trial also convicted the 35-year-old for six counts of common assault, five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault with an act of indecency, and two counts of using an offensive weapon with the intention of intimidation.
Judge Whitmore noted the offences were not premeditated over the two year period.

“None of them represented planned conduct but were all rather spontaneous representations of, among other things perhaps, the offender’s perverse perception of his … entitlement,” he said.

The court heard Sharrouf was diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia with simultaneous depression after the offences.

Judge Whitmore said the 35-year-old had been in a “psychotic state” when he subjected the victim to the ongoing abuse. The court heard he believed the victim was a police informant.

“It is more likely than not that the offender was less than fully aware of the consequences of his actions at the time of the offending,” he said.

Sharrouf’s continued denial of the offences, which he claims were fabricated, solidified the judge’s conclusion. .

Judge Whitmore told the court the offender’s mental illness and immaturity at the time of the offending were factors which warranted “substantial leniency”.

Sharrouf was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, to be backdated to when he entered custody. He will be eligible for parole on January 30, 2025.

He will be transferred to a mental health facility which will allow him to undertake courses and employment.
The court heard Sharrouf had been charged with violent offences against another woman in 2019, but found not guilty due to his mental illness.

He is the brother of infamous terrorist Khaled Sharrouf, who gained international attention in 2014 when he posted a photo of his son holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier.

He was killed during a US air strike three years later while fighting for Islamic State.