Online campaign raises more than $3,000 for Aboriginal woman fined $500 for stealing box of tampons

Australian ministers defended the decision to fine the woman

(Rex)

An online campaign has raised more than £1,500 pounds for an Aboriginal woman fined hundreds of pounds for allegedly stealing a box of tampons.

The 20-year-old woman, who has not been named, was caught by Australian police officers after she reportedly lifted a box of tampons – valued at $6.75AUS – from a shop in Coolgardie, roughly 500km east of Perth, on Tuesday.

Under Western Australia’s new Criminal Code the woman was issued a $500AUD fine, equivalent to more than £200.

Amy Rust, co-founder of Essentials 4 Women SA, a charity which aims to provide homeless women with sanitary products, started a crowdfunder on Australian platform OzCrowd.

Ms Rust said the decision to fine the woman was police “insanity” and asked why officers failed to use their discretion and waive the $500.

Within a day, the campaign had 200 backers and more than a thousand shares. As of Friday afternoon it had raised $3,398AUS.

Following the campaign’s success, Ms Rust has attempted to contact the woman through SA authorities but they have refused to release her information citing data protection.

“If we can’t get in contact with her but police can just give us the infringement number ... we can pay it off. That would help,” she told the Guardian.

Authorities have defended the decision to issue a fine. Western Australia’s Police Minister Liza Harvey claimed the system allowed individuals to avoid court and a criminal record.

"Stealing of any kind is a serious offence which the community has no tolerance for and this Government doesn't apologise for handing out swift punishment of actual consequence," she said in a statement to ABC News Australia.