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Colour, culture unite It was a colourful day indeed on Saturday 28 February, as many came along to celebrate the Holi Festival at Banjo Paterson Park. Hosted by Lynbrook Residents Association (LRA), families across several regions joined in on the fun. With entertainment throughout the day from an array of diverse dancers and performances, such as Bollydazzlers, Ukrainian Super Dancer and a drumming performance by Sonjit Dholi. For more pictures, turn to page 6
Bollydazzlers started the party and the dancing did not stop. (Rob Carew: 535616)
Concerning trend Reported sexual offences in City of Casey schools have declined over the past year, but remain significantly higher than in neighbouring municipalities, according to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA). Data accessed by Star News, shows that between October 2024 and September 2025, police recorded 35 sexual offences in Casey schools, down from 46 the previous year. In contrast, both the Greater Dandenong and
Cardinia Shire councils reported six such incidents each in the same period. Casey’s larger school population with more than 100 campuses compared with 26 in Greater Dandenong and 33 in Cardinia partly explains the discrepancy. A Victoria Police spokesperson said the majority of these offences were non-contact in nature, referring chiefly to the unauthorised shar-
ing or distribution of explicit images and videos among students. The findings coincide with research by advocacy group Collective Shout, which highlighted the widespread availability of “nudifying” apps that allow users to digitally remove clothing from photos. Caitlin Roper, the organisation’s campaign manager, said their study showed how easily such
tools could be misused to create exploitative content involving classmates. The group is calling for a global ban on these applications to curb technology-facilitated abuse. Victoria Police noted efforts to improve school safety remain a priority, with officers engaging in programs to educate students about consent, online behaviour and legal consequences. For more on this story, go to page 3
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