South East man sentenced after treating the child he sexually abused for two and half years like a ‘slave’

The South East SA man who treated the child he sexually abused for two and half years like a ‘slave’, even beating her with a fishing rod, has been sentenced.

A South East SA man who made life “hell” for the child he sexually abused, treating her like a “slave” and beating her with a fishing rod, has been sentenced.

Outside Mount Gambier District Court, the victim said her abuser should have been jailed for longer than five years.

“I thought he would get longer — he deserved a longer sentence for what he’s done,” she said.

The victim’s mother said her daughter “was given a life sentence”.

The 40-year-old perpetrator cannot be identified to protect the victim.

On February 18, 2021, the man repeatedly punched his victim in the head.

Police were called to the home, but fearing reprisals the victim did not tell authorities about the abuse.

Less than a week later, the victim was assaulted after spending the day with a friend.

The man was waiting for her at home where he grabbed a fishing rod and repeatedly struck her.

Earlier this month, her victim impact statement was read out after the accused pleaded guilty to one count of maintain unlawful sexual relationship with a child and two counts of assault.

The court heard the man, who was 36 at the time, groomed her when she was 15.

A South East SA man made life “hell” for the child he sexually abused for two and a half years. Picture: File

“In September of 2016, I lost my oldest brother to cancer and then one year later, in 2017, at the age of 14, I was sexually assaulted,” she said in the statement.

“At the time … I was in the midst of a rough break-up that had left me mentally fragile.

“The next two and a half years was hell.”

The court heard the man was “domineering” and violent and his victim became a “slave” and was forced to cater to his every demand “from the moment he awoke to the moment he went to sleep”.

The victim now lives with severe anxiety, depression and PTSD.

The accused’s defence lawyer, Nick Healy, said a psychological report showed his client “did not meet the diagnostic criteria for paedophilia”.

“His continued lack of insight as well as his minimal victim empathy are attitudes that remain a concern,” Mr Healy said.

Mr Healy said the accused had a number of drug and alcohol disorders and an anti-personality disorder.

“His current sexual and violent offences are underpinned by his anti-social personality traits, which predispose him towards irresponsible and callous conduct,” he said.

Judge Rauf Soulio, said the community and children needed to be protected.

“Children must not only be protected from the predation of older men, but from their own immaturity,” Judge Soulio said.

The man was sentenced to eight years and three months in jail with a non-parole period of five years. It was backdated to his arrest on February 26, 2021.