Southern suburbs mum asked daughter to withdraw sex abuse allegations against partner, court hears

A mother “exploited” her daughter – an alleged sex abuse victim – asking her to withdraw the allegations against her ex-partner, a court has heard.

A mother who asked her daughter – the alleged victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her mother’s partner – to retract her allegations was “self-serving in her own interests”, a court has heard.

The southern suburbs mother, who cannot be identified to protect her children, contacted her eldest daughter while banned from doing so to urge her to retract the allegations she had been repeatedly sexually abused by her mother’s de facto partner.

The mother appeared in the District Court this week via video link from prison after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness from giving evidence and two counts of failing to comply with a bail agreement.

Kelly Smith, prosecuting, told the court the mother had “exploited her relationship with her young, vulnerable child” for her own interests, instead of providing the child with protection, guidance and support.

The southern suburbs mother cannot be identified, in order to protect her children.

She said the mother, who had also faced allegations she sexually abused her younger daughter, had also asked the other child to persuade her younger daughter to proceed with those allegations. The court heard those allegations of sexual abuse by the mother against her younger daughter have been withdrawn due to the child’s mental health.

“The (eldest daughter), instead of having her own mother’s protection, guidance and support was manipulated by her own mother who also attempted to use (her eldest daughter) as a tool to manipulate her youngest daughter,” Ms Smith said.

“Her daughter had made extremely serious allegations against (her) ex-partner … she was prepared to overlook that for the sake, of what she says, was the motive of reunifying her family.”

The court heard the mother’s daughter had first contacted her mother via social media, and the mother had used that as an opportunity to communicate with her daughter, despite being banned from doing so as part of her bail agreement.

Ms Smith said the mother’s “persistent and premeditated” conduct had a “profound and devastating impact” on her elder daughter and should be penalised with a jail term.

The court had previously heard the mother had offered inducements to her daughter – including allowing her to attend a particular school – if she withdrew the allegations.

Ben Koziol, for the mother, said his client had found herself “in a situation she had never been in before” and wanted to regain some control when she offended.

He said she was struggling with the removal of her children and now ex-partner from her home as well as the allegations, when her eldest daughter reached out via social media.

“(The mother) unfortunately, foolishly thought she could navigate a way to have the children returned to her home,” he said.

He said the mother “sincerely regrets” her actions and asked the court to consider either suspending or allowing her to serve any sentence on home detention.

The mother will be sentenced next month.