Mum sentenced for telling daughter to drop sexual abuse allegations

A mum who attempted to get her daughter to drop sexual abuse claims made against the woman’s partner has been given a lesson in parenthood – and a jail term.

A judge has lashed a mum who tried to get her daughter to drop sexual assault charges, telling her: “she should have been able to look to you for support”.

The Adelaide District Court heard the woman, 45, hacked her daughter’s Snapchat and sent anonymous messages telling her to drop the charges, which were against the woman’s de facto partner.

So serious was the offending, Judge Timothy Heffernan determined the woman was an inappropriate candidate for home detention because that leniency would “affect public confidence in the administration of justice”.

The woman pleaded guilty to using her daughter’s old Snapchat account, which she had the password to stored on her phone, to ask her to retract her statement and tell the Child Protection Department and SA Police the allegations were untrue.

Those allegations, of indecent assault and persistent sexually exploitation by the woman and her partner, are continuing before the courts.

Stock image of a child.

Neither the woman or her partner can be identified in order to protect the identity of the children.

Judge Heffernan said the daughter should have been able to turn to her mother for help, rather than be coerced by her.

“Reporting (sexual assault) allegations is difficult and stressful for any victim, but particularly so when the victim is a child,” he said.

“As (your daughter’s) mother, she should have been able to look to you for support.”

Judge Timothy Heffernan said allowing the woman to serve a custodial sentence on home detention would not be appropriate.

“Your behaviour was repetitive, insistent and calculated to put a significant amount of pressure on (your daughter),” he said.

“The offence of attempting to dissuade a witness strikes at the heart of our justice system.

“There is a very high degree of public interest in children being able to make properly founded allegations of sexual offending.”

The court previously heard the woman was “self-serving in her own interests” and “manipulative”.

The woman told her daughter they could move house, she would buy her clothes and she would allow her to go to the school of her choice if she withdrew the charges.

After being arrested in November last year, the woman had an application for bail rejected in January and had been behind bars since.

By the time of her sentencing, Judge Heffernan said the woman had “begun the process of rehabilitation” and was “planning for the future”.

“I am also satisfied that you are unlikely to offend in this way again,” he said.

Judge Heffernan handed the woman a head sentence of one year, eight months and 13 days with a non-parole period of one year, one month and eight days meaning she will be eligible for release on December 27.