Arabic version: امرأة تشكك في خط المساعدة للتطرف أمام اللجنة الملكية

According to ABC News, a woman concerned about a young relative’s neo-Nazi beliefs told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion that the national Step Together hotline gave her vague and unhelpful information when she sought support.

The federally funded Step Together program, administered by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, provides a hotline and website for people seeking advice about violent extremism risks. The woman, who cannot be identified, said she wanted information on community-led services or psychologists with specialist expertise, but was directed to her state’s police-led intervention program.

She said she left the call feeling her needs were not being met and did not consider police involvement appropriate as a first step for the young person or family. She also criticised the website as difficult to navigate, saying it had little or no information about far-right extremism or neo-Nazi beliefs and that she had to conduct her own research.

Heather Jackson from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice told the commission that specialist services were limited in some jurisdictions. Step Together did not directly refer callers to community-led countering violent extremism programs or individual counsellors, she said, adding that a caller in the woman’s position would receive the same response today. Work was underway to refresh the website and raise awareness of the service.

The woman later sought help through Exit Australia, which connected her with an interstate psychologist. Separately, University of Queensland researcher Adrian Cherney said his review found no evidence that police management had deterred clients from countering violent extremism programs. The inquiry has adjourned and will return for its final hearing block on Monday.