Background Briefing

Almost one person with a disability is killed by their carer every three months in Australia.

For the first time, Background Briefing has calculated this number by reviewing years of court documents and media reports.

When a person with disabilities is killed, the burden of caring is often cited as a reason for the killing and may lead to lighter sentences.

Reporter Sarah Dingle investigates bias in the courtroom and asks the question: Does excusing carers who kill lead to a contagion effect?

A community in regional NSW is pushing for a different approach to how it handles drug-related crime.

While politicians have promised a drug court to divert offenders into rehabilitation, very little has been done.

In this Background Briefing investigation reporter Bronwyn Adcock speaks to community leaders in the city of Dubbo who are fed up with drug addicts having no other option than to be sent to jail.

30 years after a young Aboriginal boy was found dead on the train tracks in the NSW town of Tamworth, the cause of his death remains a mystery.

After a botched police investigation, his family decided to seek answers on their own – with devastating consequences.

This week Background Briefing brings you a special investigation in collaboration with the Unravel True Crime podcast, prising open a thirty year old cold case.

Reporter Allan Clarke has spent five years of his life covering this case, revealing a police investigation overshadowed by the politics of race.

Former Macquarie Bank clients are accusing the institution of pushing them into higher risk trading categories with fewer protections.

Thousands of customers, including those with self-managed superannuation funds, were categorized as “sophisticated investors” , allowing the bank to trade their money without having to explain the risks or consequences in writing.

In this co-production with the 730 program reporter Mario Christodoulou speaks to a couple who literally bet the farm on Macquarie. And lost.

The oligarchs hold the power and the money in Russia. So who are they and why does your average Russian billionaire care about who sits in The White House?

This week on Background Briefing we're introducing you to the ABC's new podcast, Russia if You're Listening.

It is about is the most important news story of the decade—the investigation which could bring down US President Donald Trump.

Each week, host Matt Bevan will bring the story of a character involved in the investigation. This is episode 3: The Oligarchs.

Subscribe in Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app to find out how this story ends.