Donations roll in after Aboriginal woman in Perth receives an on-the-spot fine for allegedly stealing tampons worth $6.75, under Western Australia legislation

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A crowdfunding campaign to help an Aboriginal woman pay a $500 fine for allegedly stealing a box of tampons has raised more than $1,000 in 12 hours.

Guardian Australia reported on Thursday that police in Coolgardie, a small town about 560km east of Perth in Western Australia, gave the 20-year-old woman an on-the-spot infringement notice for stealing the tampons, worth $6.75, from a service station.

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Under legislation that came into force in March, police can use a criminal code infringement notice instead of arresting someone for disorderly conduct or minor stealing offences. The fine is a flat rate of $500 provided the stolen item is worth less.

The infringement notices are to be issued at police discretion, which means they can still elect to caution or otherwise not charge a person.

If the fine is paid on time, the person will not receive a conviction. If not, it is referred to the fines enforcement registry, which has the power to suspend a person’s driver’s licence until the fine is paid.

Amy Rust, the founder of Essentials 4 Women SA – a group that provides sanitary products to homeless women, victims of domestic violence and asylum seekers – told Guardian Australia she was astonished police had decided to fine the woman and started the crowdfunding campaign in response. As of Friday morning it had raised $1054.50 from 56 contributors.

“I am glad that I have never found myself in the position where I can’t afford these items,” Rust said. “For us it doesn’t matter what kind of criminal history you have, if you are put in that sort of position you are on the bones of your arse.

“You would hope that a judge would not have given such a harsh penalty … how can [a fine] that’s 74 times the amount be justified?”

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Rust has contacted the WA police and the office of the police minister, Liza Harvey, in an effort to find the woman and give her the money raised.

“If we can’t get in contact with her but police can just give us the infringement number ... we can pay it off. That would help,” she said.

Coolgardie police constable Brian Evans told Guardian Australia on Wednesday that police used the infringement notice because the woman had no criminal record. When asked on Friday about the possibility of putting Rust in contact with the woman to pay off the fine, Evans said police would not release the name of a person issued with an infringement notice under any circumstances.

Harvey, who is also the minister for women, defended the use of infringement notices on Thursday, saying: “This government doesn’t apologise for handing out swift punishment of actual consequence.”

She declined to comment further.