The ACT Supreme Court has sentenced an offender to more than 16 years’ jail for sexual abuse. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to child sexual abuse.
An unthinkable family tragedy unfolded before Canberra’s courts after two sisters were repeatedly sexually assaulted by their older brother, with the years of abuse starting before he turned 14.
Numerous non-publication orders were issued to protect the identities of those involved as the matter progressed through the criminal justice system, with the orders also preventing media reporting on the trial.
Then on Thursday (12 June), about a week after the offender was sentenced to over 16 years’ jail, the ACT Supreme Court allowed it to be reported to the public.
The offender had been charged with repeatedly sexually, indecently and physically abusing their two younger sisters when they were between the ages of 14 and 18.
At the time of the abuse, the first sister was aged 10 to 12, and the second was aged seven to 12.
Last year, the offender pleaded guilty to or was found guilty of 32 charges, including 18 counts of incest.
They had actually begun sexually abusing their sisters before they turned 14, but this was before they became criminally responsible for their actions.
“The lifelong devastation that the offender’s actions have caused to the victims cannot be overstated,” Justice Belinda Baker said.
“They spent their childhoods being abused, or fearing imminent abuse, at the hands of their brother.
“They both suffer, and will continue to suffer, immensely from the offender’s actions.”
Justice Baker said the offences were of the “utmost gravity” and “degrading”.
“A number of the offences were accompanied by threats and derogatory insults,” she said.
She noted the “violence and depravity” in the offences, particularly those committed against the second sister on whom the offender inflicted “depraved violence and torture”.
Justice Baker said the offender’s motivation was obscure, “and for that reason, deeply troubling”.
They were exposed to unsupervised pornography while too young to appreciate “the insidious effects” of it on their moral and sexual development, she said.
But she also said the “escalation of the offending to include offences with significant physical violence distinguishes it from cases in which the sexual conduct can be explained by the immaturity of the offender”.
“I am satisfied that, by the time he was 14 years old, the offender knew that what he was doing was wrong and that he was causing each of his sisters harm,” she said.
“He continued to offend against both sisters over many years despite this knowledge, and in fact escalated the violence involved, particularly against [the second sister].”
When considering the sentence to be imposed, Justice Baker noted that the youth of the offender and the need to give weight to rehabilitation could not eclipse the need for denunciation, deterrence, and recognition of the deep harm caused to both victims.
She sentenced the offender to 16 and a half years’ jail, which will be suspended after they have spent 10 years behind bars. This means they will be released from custody in June 2035.
Last year, the offender pleaded guilty to 10 charges before facing a jury trial, which resulted in guilty verdicts on 22 additional charges.
These charges were eight counts of incest with child under 10, 10 counts of incest with child under 16, four counts of an act of indecency with child under 10, seven counts of an act of indecency with child under 16, two counts of unlawful confinement and one count of sexual assault in the third degree.
Only two offences were committed after they turned 18.
The offender legally cannot be named due to their age at the time of the offences, while the law also protects the identities of the victims.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call triple zero.
The only thing that would actually make school zones "safe" is to have a 0 km/h speed limit, i.e. no… View