Category: Sex Offences

Incest

Mother of ‘Incest Family’ Granted Bail

By ▪︎ ▪︎

The 52-year old matriarch of a rural Australian family has been granted bail in the Supreme Court of New South Wales after spending 14 months behind bars. The woman, given the pseudonym ‘Betty Colt’, was arrested in April 2018 and charged with five counts of perjury for allegedly making false statements under oath. She is …
Sexual harassment at work

Law Firm Boss Ordered to Pay for Sexually Harassing Employee

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

As the Australian legal profession grapples with the issue of bullying and harassment in the workplace, the principal of one NSW law firm has been ordered to pay damages to an employee for ongoing sexual harassment. Ordered to pay damages The head of a boutique law firm in Bangalow, near Byron Bay on the far …
Church seats

Victims of Child Sexual Abuse Can Now Sue the Church

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

The ‘Ellis defence’ once prevented victims of child sexual abuse from suing unincorporated organisations such as the Catholic Church. But as of 1 January 2019, legislation came into effect which requires those organisations to nominate a defendant with sufficient funds and assets to pay a victim’s claim. Putting the changes into practise Last week, Victorian …
Man on laptop

The Crime of Possessing Child Abuse Material

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

It has been reported that a “handsome faced”, “single… young Aussie” has avoided prison time and a criminal record after pleading guilty to possessing more than two million sexual images and videos of children, including a four-minute video of man raping a 13-year old girl. District Court Judge Michael Shanahan is reported to have sentenced …
Strip searches

Strip Searches: State-Perpetrated Sexual Acts

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

NSW police use of strip searches hasn’t just risen in recent times, but almost become routine. Over the four years ending in June 2018, its general use rose by 47 percent, while last year, 11 percent of persons in respect of which a drug detection dog made a positive indication were ordered to remove their …
#MeToo

#MeToo Founder Sued for Defamation

By ▪︎ ▪︎

New York based French Journalist Sandra Muller is widely credited for inspiring hundreds of other women in that nation to report being sexually harassed, after she published a Tweet accusing French television executive Eric Brion of making offensive comments towards her. Sent in 2017 in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Ms Muller posted …
Downing Centre Court NSW

The Law and Penalties for Aggravated Sexual Assault in New South Wales

By ▪︎ ▪︎

A man who was found guilty by a jury in Downing Centre District Court of multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping and armed robbery has been sentenced to a full term of 38 years in prison with a non-parole period of 28 years. The man, whose name is the subject of a non-publication order, …
Playground

40 Year Prison Sentence for Australia’s ‘Worst Paedophile’

By ▪︎ ▪︎

Ruecha Tokputza has been described in court as “Australia’s worst paedophile”, and has been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to 50 charges including having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 14, engaging in sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia and aggravated indecent assault, South Australian District Court judge …
Presumption of innocence

Employee Can be Suspended Pending Outcome of Serious Criminal Charges

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

St George Rugby League player Jack de Belin has lost his bid for reinstatement to the NRL pending the outcome of the sexual assault claims against him. Judge Melissa Perry of the Federal Court recently handed down a judgment in favour of the NRL and ordered Mr de Belin to pay the company’s costs. NRL …
Sexual harassment in the workplace

Sexual Harassment Rife Within the Legal Profession

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

It’s a well-publicised fact that sexual harassment is prevalent in the legal profession, and now a new survey suggests that Australia has one of the highest rates of bullying and harassment amongst law professionals in the world. Australia provided the highest number of respondents, accounting for about 13 percent of responses to the survey of …