Threats to AVN President made from home of Stop the AVN Founder

Did Daniel Raffaele, founder of the hate group, Stop the AVN make threatening phone calls to the President of the Australian Vaccination Network?

Naming and shaming

Who made those phone calls to Meryl Dorey? We have been asking on this blog if anyone recognised the voice or had any information on the caller, but to date, nobody has come forward.

The AVN is now in a position to inform you that these phone calls originated from the home of Mr Daniel Raffaele, founder and creator of Stop the Australian Vaccination Network. Raffaele has a history of threatening Ms Dorey, once saying that, "Whatever end this campaign [against the AVN and Ms Dorey] comes to, which will include the demise of the AVN, is her decision. She has made the choice to remain arrogant and cruel. If the demise of the AVN brings with it the demise of Meryl Dorey herself, she only has herself to blame for that." (emphasis added)

Blaming the victim

Blaming Ms Dorey for Raffaele's own lack of control and tendencies towards violent rhetoric is morally and ethically reprehensible.

The reason we are releasing this information now, is that the police have informed us that they will not be pursuing criminal charges against Raffaele. It is therefore felt that the best way to protect Ms Dorey and her family is to inform everyone of these threats.

Normal procedure?

It is our understanding that in cases where there is evidence that threats originated from a certain residence (and the police were able to confirm that these calls - "Die in a Fire" and "Just burn" - were made from a phone in Daniel Raffaele's home), and there is no alternative explanation as to who else could have been responsible for these threats, charges would normally be laid against the person in residence at that location.

Since Mr Raffaele refused to make a statement or to offer any other explanation (on the advice of his solicitor) when he was interviewed by the police, one might have expected that charges would have been laid as a matter of course. Especially considering Mr Raffaele's history of violent threats against Ms Dorey.

Instead, the AVN was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions had stated that it would be difficult to gain a conviction and so, charges would not be laid and this issue would not be pursued further by the authorities.

What sort of evidence would be needed to charge?

It is hard to imagine how much more evidence would have been needed in order to make a charge stick. Daniel Raffaele's history of threats and harassment of Ms Dorey is extensive and public. He has  called himself and been called her "arch nemesis" several times. He has stated openly that he feels extreme hatred for her.

Below are just a few of the dozens of screenshots Ms Dorey has of Mr Raffaele expressing either threats towards or hatred for her as well as a picture of him accepting an award from the Australian Skeptics for his role in the hate group, Stop the AVN. (Please note - if any of these screenshots appear too small to read, just click on them and they will open up full-size in your browser)

Wendy Wilkinson, Ken McLeod and Daniel Raffaele from Stop the AVN accept an award from the Australian Skeptics