It's a 'coward's punch': man whose son died at party says 'king hit' hides truth

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/03/cowards-punch-says-brisbane-father

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The father of a teenager killed by a punch outside a party in Brisbane has backed calls to end the use of the term “king-hit”, saying it implies “something that’s done really really well”.

Paul Stanley, whose 15-year-old son Matthew died following a party in the city’s southern suburbs in 2006, said he also supported a ban on alcohol advertising during sport – a policy the Greens advocated on Friday.

Debate about alcohol-fuelled violence has been reignited by the plight of 18-year-old Daniel Christie, who remains in a critical condition at St Vincent's hospital after he was punched in the face in Sydney on New Year's Eve. It occurred in almost the same spot where 18-year-old Thomas Kelly was fatally punched in Kings Cross in July 2012.

Christie's family issued a statement saying a king-hit should instead be referred to as a “coward's punch”.

Stanley, who visits schools to talk to students about alcohol-fuelled violence, said he agreed.

“Kings are supposed to be honourable people – history hasn’t shown that’s terribly right – but the terminology suggests something that’s done really really well,” he said.

Stanley also questioned why alcohol companies would spend so much money on sport sponsorship and advertising unless it encouraged drinking. He believed the promotion of liquor during matches had an effect on children who were watching.

He said: “In the old days when cigarettes were advertised ... it wasn’t too difficult to put a ban on that, and you didn’t see anybody going out and bashing somebody after having a cigarette.”

The acting leader of the Australian Greens, Richard Di Natale, said he would push for a Senate inquiry into the promotion and advertising of alcohol. He said while there had been a lot of rhetoric about clamping down on alcohol-fuelled violence, the biggest challenge was how Australia could change its unhealthy drinking culture.

“Over the next five days many people will sit down with their kids to hopefully watch Australia continue its total domination of the Ashes, and despite the fact that it’s school holidays and the Test will be broadcast during the day, alcohol advertising will be a constant feature,” Di Natale said.

“Perversely linking healthy pursuits like cricket and football with alcohol through sponsorship and alcohol advertising is the dark side of Australian sport. It’s only possible because a loophole allows alcohol ads to be shown when kids are likely to be watching TV, so long as it’s during sport.”

The Greens need support from either Labor or the Coalition in the Senate to convene the inquiry. Labor’s leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, said the opposition was happy to talk with Di Natale about the idea and judge it on its merits.

The president of the Australian Medical Association, Steve Hambleton, backed restrictions on alcohol advertising during sport.

"There's logos on uniforms; there's alcohol advertising breaks; there's alcohol on billboards at the back of the sporting event. It links sport with alcohol and you'd be forgiven for thinking that you need to have alcohol and sport together," he told the ABC.

"There's strong evidence that the more young people are exposed to alcohol over time, the earlier they start drinking, the more they drink, and the more alcohol-related harm they experience."

Christie's family issued a statement saying their lives had been turned upside down.

"We don't agree with the popular term 'king hit'," the family said. "We have heard it referred to as a coward punch, which seems to be more appropriate."

The NSW police minister, Michael Gallacher, voiced his support, saying the community needed to refer to the "gutless acts" for what they were.

"King hit somehow suggests there was some sort of fair fight and something to be looked upon as a significant victory," he told reporters on Friday. "There is nothing victorious in this gutless act.

"I think the suggestion is something the government will be looking upon very, very seriously."

Asked what the government could do, Gallacher said the language could be replicated in legislation.

People needed to understand king hitting people and other gutless acts should not be respected, he added.

"They should not be hidden in words like ‘assault occasioning actual bodily harm’ or 'assault occasioning grievous bodily harm’," he said.

Gallacher said there should be a "stand-out offence" so when a person is charged or investigated on their criminal record down the track, they were ashamed to describe the charge.

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