Yr 12 HSC Legal Studies: Crime - Reporting & investigating a crime

NSW Legal Studies syllabus HSC course

Core topic: Crime

This learning activity is aligned to the syllabus 'learn to' statement:

• Examine the reporting and investigation of crime.

The aim for this learning activity is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the course content through reference to either contemporary case studies, media events or amendments to legislation.

This learning activity explores the difficulties that people may experience when reporting the offence of sexual assault to the police. Students will examine two focus studies looking at the experiences of two victims of sexual assault (Saxon Mullens and victim of the Jarryd Hayne sexual assault) who reported the crime to the police but with different outcomes.

As well the learning activity allows students to examine the powers of the police to investigate crime through a series of focus studies.

• Successful investigation to identify Conrad Craig as the person responsible for the murder of Brayden Dillon.
• Successful police investigation in the arrest of Justin Stein for the murder of Charlise Mutton.
• Resolution of the cold case involving Karlie Pearce Stephenson (& Khandalyce) through DNA matching to bring Daniel Holdom to justice.
• The work of Strike force Wessel to identify the person that killed Cheryl’s Grimmer.
• The success of Strike force Scriven in gathering sufficient circumstantial evidence for the conviction of Christopher Dawson for the murder of his wife.
• The ongoing investigative work of Strike force Rosann to find out what happened to William Terrell.
• The coordinated police investigation (Operation Ebus) to arrest and convict the leaders involved in Plautus Payroll financial fraud against the ATO.

The activity requires students to read reference material and to complete a series of review based questions.

This learning activity is also cross reference with syllabus outcomes as well as aligned to the relevant theme and challenge component.

The inclusion of contemporary media events and court cases is well suited to act as a supplement for student class notes.