Stop the Coward Punch!

What is a

A coward punch or coward strike is an unexpected, unprovoked, and unlawful blow, usually delivered to the head or neck of an unsuspecting victim, often from behind and without warning.

It is described as a "cowardly" act because the perpetrator strikes without warning, giving the victim no opportunity to prepare or defend themselves.

As it is a forceful blow delivered without warning, it often knocks the victim unconscious, which creates great risk of further head trauma if they fall and hit the ground.

Coward Punch/Coward Strike?

Currently:

In their current form, Coward Punch and Coward Strike laws are based on the outcome, and not the act itself. The law, the charges and the punishment are based on a fatal outcome. The law states, "causing death". In it's current form, the same cowardly act is treated under different legislation if the cowardly act is not fatal, which means the act itself is not labelled as a coward punch or coward strike if does not cause a fatal outcome.

https://www.criminaldefencelawyers.com.au/blog/coward-punch-sucker-punch-laws-in-australia/

Our goal:

Our goal moving forward is to help continue to raise awareness of the dangers and life changing consequences of Coward Punches and Coward Strikes to both the victim and the perpertrator and their families and friends. This includes the effect it has on the community, from the direct repurcussions in the local area including business and tourism, and the wider communities trust and safety concerns. There is also the emergency services involved directly and the ongoing medical care involved (emotional and financial), We expect and hope to be able to establish some sort of educational and awareness arm, much along the lines of Danny Green's Stop The Coward Punch and the Pat Cronin Foundation, but with a specific point of difference

Our plan:

To change the way Coward Punches and Coward Strikes are seen by the community, reported by the media and treated by the justice and legal systems.

Only when the public, the police, the prosecution, the courts and the judicial system starts to call out the act itself for what it is, a cowardly act, will people start to finally realise that this is a cowardly act by definition and by the law, and it will not be tolerated. Not by the public, not by the police and not by their peers. Even the term Grievous Bodily Harm can convey some sort of manly connotation to those who have a fragile sense of self and need to stroke their own ego or seek approval or a heightened sense of status within their peer groups.

We hope to create change that permanently adds the charge of Coward Strike to any physical assault or GBH act that is in any way cowardly. As an extra layer of consideration for the police, the prosecution, and the courts. As a new way of labeling those who commit these acts. As a way of removing ANY chance of the act or any outcome as being seen in any way as anything other than cowardly. When the media reports on it as a cowardly act, regardless of outcome, it will become a status to be avoided. When they stand in front of a judge, in a courtroom, and the charge of a cowardly act is read out, they will be judged as a coward. And when their peers talk about them being charged as a coward puncher or coward striker, they will be talked about as a coward.

Then we can truly change the mindset of these people who still commit these cowardly acts and replace it with a common understanding that this behaviour is cowardly regardless of outcome. And that it will not be tolerated, it will not be celebrated and it will be called out for what it is, a cowardly act committed by a coward.

We need to change the perception and the general mindset that:

"Only Cowards Coward Punch".

Our aim:

Our aim through the Only Cowards Coward Punch campaign will be to target the ego, pride and peer status of would be pepetrators. We understand that alcohol, drugs and aggression are leading contributing factors in the statistics, but we also believe that there is an ego or status seeking component involved in some cases as well. We believe that there are some people who do this to try and impress someone at some level. Whether it is for themselves, their mates, a girlfriend or for their father's approval or living up to some perceived social expectation or possibly seeking some sort of peer group status upgrade, we believe that there is sometimes, maybe often, an ego/status driven component in at least some of these cases.

Please follow the links to other organisations and foundations doing amazing work in this field. Please be part of the solution and call out this behaviour for what it is. Cowardly.

https://cowardpunchcampaign.com/

https://patcroninfoundation.org.au/

https://cool.org/unit/stop-the-coward-punch-civics-and-citizenship-years-7-to-10

https://theparentswebsite.com.au/together-we-can-end-the-coward-punch/

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100770