Former Eyre Peninsula bakery owners who abused, impregnated young employees in sex ‘cult’ for years told of shocking impact on victims

Shocking new details in the case of a Eyre Peninsula bakery couple who abused teen girls working for them for years have been aired in court as the victims reveal the horrific impact.

A woman groomed and sexually assaulted by a couple while working at their family bakery on the Eyre Peninsula in the 1980s has told a court her abusive “monsters” refused her medical help during two labours.

The former married couple, who can’t be named to protect the identities of their victims, appeared in the District Court on Thursday after being found guilty by jury last year of the child sex crimes dating back to the 1980s.

The man has been found guilty of two counts of indecent assault, four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of sexual abuse of a child while the female has been found guilty of four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of sexual abuse of a child.

He had three children in seven months with three women, two of them victims of his abuse, in what one of the victim’s brother described as a “cult-like” situation.

One of the victims, who had two children with the man and lived with the family for almost 20 years, spoke of the irreversible impact the couple has had on her life.

“You made me feel lost, trapped and helpless,” she said.

“You don’t care who you hurt … you’re both monsters.”

The woman said she was made to feel “inadequate” and “discarded” by the couple.

“This threesome crap made me feel worthless, always less important, the odd one out … I felt used, ashamed (and) violated,” she said.

“I felt discarded like a sex toy, sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the bedroom.”

The woman also said the couple denied her medical support through both her labours making her feel “worthless”.

“You made me go to the hospital at the last possible moment which is another level of cruel,” she said.

“You ignored my cries for help and made me suffer for hours and hours, both times alone.

“I will never forget the physical pain … I despise both of you for that.

“I had no voice, no choice and no importance.”

The woman said her mental health has suffered since despite the immense support from her family.

The victim and her family were visibly upset as she read her victim impact statement.

“It (the court proceedings) has empowered me to speak up, to stand up for myself … to fight for my voice to be heard and to show you that I do matter,” she said.

“It’s your turn to be at risk of being dominated and being told what you can and can’t do.

“It’s your turn to cry yourselves to sleep every night, it’s your turn.”

Another victim, who also had a child with the male offender, said she has found it hard to trust people since her naivety was taken advantage of at such a young age.

“I’d never been touched by anyone before,” she said.

“I couldn’t say or do anything, once it was over I had never been in so much pain.

“You used me to fill sexual fantasies (with your wife).”

Sally Burgess, for the male offender, said her client did not accept the guilty verdict handed down by the jury and does not admit any of the offending.

Ms Burgess said her client experienced sexual and physical abuse at Yatala Prison, leading him to want to take his own life, and has since been moved to Mt Gambier where he has found comfort in his fellow inmates – some of whom have been convicted with murder.

“He says thanks to their support …, that he has now in effect acclimatised to a new environment,” she said.

“I understand that during his time in the prisons in Adelaide … I understand he was assaulted physically and sexually assaulted in the shower,” she said.

Mr Burgess said the man’s children, with one of his victims, would be providing statements in support of their father, something which prosecutor Lisa Dunlop said would have “very limited weight”.

Judge Emily Telfer agreed, saying the relationship he’s had with the children stems from the sexual abuse of their mother.

The couple will return to court for further sentencing submissions later this month.