Sexualised, violent threats: female Victorian MPs fear for their safety as they fight more than just next month’s election

Helen Haines, a federal MP, was allegedly attacked by a constituent in her regional Victorian electorate on Monday. The article does not give details of the alleged attack. It mattered to Georgie Purcell because it showed how quickly political hostility can become a personal safety concern.

Purcell, a Victorian upper house MP, said the incident sent chills down her spine. She already changed where she parked, which route she took home and whether she held public events. After posting support for Haines, one constituent said he wished the attack had happened to Purcell. Another wrote: “You should be scared.”

Purcell reported both comments, but said police could not act because the threats lacked the required specificity. She remained on high alert with five weeks before the Victorian election. She also feared the approaching 10-day prepoll period could make candidates easier to locate for targeted attacks.

Sexualised and violent threats are messages or actions that threaten sexual harm, physical attack, death or violence against someone’s family. They are especially serious because they target both an MP’s body and the people or places that make them feel safe. The article describes threats as sexualised, violent and focused on weaknesses.

Purcell has received abuse, rape and death threats over four years in parliament. After she supported Helen Haines, constituents wrote that they wished Haines’s alleged attack had happened to Purcell and that she should be scared. Annabelle Cleeland said threats targeted her children and home. Daniel Andrews faced threats against his family, stalking and harassment charges, and a mock execution effigy.

The threats range from online messages to conduct in public places. Jacinta Allan was heckled while an audience member displayed a noose, while cars believed to carry her were blocked or followed. These incidents show that intimidation can move from screens into public and private life.

Threats are widespread across Victorian politics, although the article says women are the predominant targets. MPs from across the political spectrum report that threats intensified during Victoria’s prolonged COVID lockdowns and have remained constant since. This makes the problem broader than one dispute, party or electorate.

Purcell has received abuse, rape and death threats throughout her four years in parliament. Former premier Daniel Andrews said threats targeted him and his family during the pandemic, and he received around-the-clock close personal protection. Jacinta Allan later faced hostility over emergency services and transmission-project laws. Annabelle Cleeland also described threats involving her children and home.

The examples span online abuse, public intimidation, stalking allegations and people blocking or following cars. The continuing nature of these incidents affects elections and everyday parliamentary work. With Victoria’s election approaching, Purcell warned that 10 days of prepoll could create repeated opportunities for targeted attacks.

Threats have changed how Victorian MPs work and move through public life. Purcell considers where to park, which route to drive home and whether to hold public events. She is on high alert before the election. These precautions can limit direct contact with constituents, a central part of political work.

Annabelle Cleeland shares her live location with her husband and staff while travelling across her 11,452-square-kilometre electorate. She said she feared putting her children in harm’s way. During the 2022 campaign, Daniel Andrews’s press conferences were largely kept out of public view. He also received close personal protection during the pandemic.

Campaigning creates another risk because prepoll locations can be easy to identify. Purcell warned that 10 days of prepoll could help someone plan a targeted attack. Security also extends to partners and staff: Purcell gained more measures through her relationship with federal MP Josh Burns, while cars carrying Allan or her staff were blocked or followed.

The article links the escalation to Victoria’s prolonged COVID lockdowns and the heated debate over pandemic legislation. It does not provide a single cause, but it records threats against MPs across the political spectrum during that period. The intensity was visible in a public act aimed at then premier Daniel Andrews.

An effigy of Andrews was subjected to a mock execution outside parliament. He said people were threatening him and his family and attacking their safety. He was understood to have around-the-clock close personal protection. During the 2022 election campaign, his press conferences were largely kept out of public view, and a later man faced stalking and harassment charges.

Threats did not end with lockdowns. Jacinta Allan faced strong hostility over the emergency services levy and laws involving transmission projects and private land. She was relentlessly heckled at the 2025 Bush Summit, while cars believed to carry her were blocked or followed. A mobile billboard also attacked her for six weeks.

The article describes different systems for handling threats against federal and Victorian state MPs. In Canberra, the Australian Federal Police manage threats against federal MPs. They build intelligence over time by examining repeated behaviour and patterns. This creates a broader picture of risk rather than treating every report as isolated.

Purcell says Victoria works differently. Individual complaints are dealt with separately by police. After two constituents threatened her online, she reported both, but said there was nothing else she could do because the messages lacked the specificity police require for further action. Her account suggests that separate complaints may not reveal a wider pattern.

This difference matters because threats can accumulate across platforms, events and targets. Purcell receives more security measures through her relationship with federal MP Josh Burns, not because she is a Victorian MP. With a state election approaching, Premier Ben Carroll met police, electoral officials and cabinet to discuss stronger safety measures.

Representative democracy is a system in which citizens elect people to speak and make decisions on their behalf. It depends on elected representatives being able to meet constituents, campaign and debate public issues without coercion. The article does not define the term, but its examples show why safety is part of democratic participation.

Threats can force MPs to change routes, avoid events and hide campaign appearances. Purcell questioned whether to hold public events. Andrews’s press conferences were largely kept out of public view. Cleeland shares her live location because she fears for her children. These precautions reduce ordinary contact between representatives and voters.

Threats also risk narrowing who can safely remain in politics, especially when women are predominantly targeted. The article reports that abuse has lasted across parties and since the lockdown period. If intimidation becomes routine, public debate and elections may be shaped by fear rather than voters’ choices. Victoria was considering stronger safety measures as its election approached.