Vic: Jail and fines for harassing paramedics

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2004
Vic: Jail and fines for harassing paramedics

MELBOURNE, Aug 6 AAP - People who attack or harass paramedics in the course of their
duty can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to $6,000 under Victorian laws that
came into effect this week.

The amendments to existing legislation give paramedics the same type of protection
from attack as police officers.

Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the work of paramedics was difficult enough without
them being obstructed in the course of their duties.

"Paramedics have to respond at all hours of the day and night wherever an emergency
arises," she said in a statement today.

"Attacking or obstructing paramedics not only causes potential danger to the paramedic
but also the patient, as the fine line between saving or losing an accident victim can
often be measured in minutes."

Under the new laws, it is an offence to assault, obstruct, or delay paramedics in the
course of providing treatment to a patient.

The changes give police the right to remove anybody interfering with paramedics providing
treatment and make it an offence to give a false report of an emergency to an ambulance
service.

The changes follow a series of incidents over the past year where paramedics came under
attack as they attended at incidents.

AAP nl/ce/drp/de

KEYWORD: AMBULANCE VIC

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