After Dark: Blame

Join us for the 2023 edition of After Dark at the Justice & Police Museum. Guest speakers, artists, performers and filmmakers will delve into diverse subjects that shape our past, present and future.

This thought-provoking, adults-only experience will explore contemporary themes and bring to light historical cases, characters and issues. The program will feature talks, performances, interactive experiences, an onsite bar and after-hours access to the museum.

Victim blaming – the act of blaming victims for a criminal act that has happened to them – is a widely publicised issue in recent years. This act of blame or imposing shame is by no means a new phenomenon.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the famous Bogle–Chandler case, when the two bodies of a couple having an affair were found poisoned on the banks of the Lane Cove River in 1963. The case, which shocked the public and immediately gained wide media scrutiny, was never solved. The authorities and media, and as a result the public, imposed blame on the victims and caused long-term grief to their families, who became victims of the media circus that ensued. It was Peter Butt’s 2006 documentary Who killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler? that proposed a new and now widely supported theory. Join us to watch the film, learn about new developments in the cold case and take part in a Q&A with the director.

Members get more: Enjoy a complimentary cocktail or drink at the Archie Rose Bar to the value of $15, with priority service. Plus 10% off at the bar and access to reserved seating.

This initiative is proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Culture Up Late Program.