Mirani MP Stephen Andrew unwittingly writes reference for man charged with raping step daughter

A Queensland MP says he unwittingly gave a reference to a convicted child rapist who may have avoided facing punishment for some of his horror crimes but not for a chance encounter with police.

Mirani MP Stephen Andrew wrote a character reference letter for court for a man who repeatedly raped his young step daughter, but said he had been of the understanding it was a general character reference. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

A Queensland MP says he unwittingly gave a reference to a convicted child rapist who may have avoided facing punishment for some of his horror crimes but not for a chance encounter with police.

Mirani MP Stephen Andrew wrote a reference letter to the court speaking of the man’s remorse for his repulsive acts which included repeatedly raping his teen stepdaughter in the Mackay region.

Speaking after the case, Mr Andrew said he was told it was just a “general character reference” and wasn’t aware of the specifics.

“I don’t condone any of that behaviour”

When told of the specific charges, the One Nation MP said he was not told anything about the charges when asked to write the reference.

“I don’t dig into everyone’s personal life.”

He remembered, however, that the man had expressed shame and remorse and told him he’d been under a lot of stress.

Mirani MP Stephen Andrew wrote a character reference letter for court for a man who repeatedly raped his young step daughter. Picture: Melanie Whiting

A court heard the man also sexually abused his victim’s her younger sister, who described the traumatic impact his offending had in an emotional victim impact statement describing how “memories of that night … are still etched in my mind like a fresh wound”.

“I am still trying to process the trauma that’s been inflicted upon me by you,” she read over the phone as the man sat and listened.

“The shame, the guilt, the fear that I felt as a child have left lasting scars.

“For nearly 20 years I’ve had the weight of all of this on my shoulders.”

Mackay District Court heard she was only 11 when he forced himself on her, digitally raping her. She was too scared to tell anyone. (More below)

What he did to her sister was even worse and involved multiple counts of sexual abuse and rape when she was aged 13 to 15.

When she cried during his abuse he ignored her.

The rapes left her “shaking and scared” and when it finished she barricaded her bedroom door with her bed to stop him coming back into her room.

‘FIRST TIME YOU ARE PLAYED WITH IN QLD’

His abuse had been ongoing for years and began when she was just 10 to 12 years old and the family had been living interstate and even included him telling his victim “this’ll be the last time you are played with (interstate)” and “this’ll be the first time you are played with in Queensland” before and after the move.

The court heard the man was actually jailed and spent six and a half years behind bars for four counts of incest over the interstate offending.

The Mackay region man abused one of his step daughters over five years.

All the offending had been reported to police around the same time.

Crown prosecutor Lydia Devereaux told the court an arrest warrant was issued in Queensland regarding the Mackay region offending and said it was evident that offending “was known” at the time he was sentenced interstate.

The court heard however he was never charged with the Queensland offending until April 2023 when police attended on him “by chance” for an unrelated matter and the warrant was executed.

‘ARREST WARRANT NEVER EXECUTED’

“So he did his sentence (interstate) and was released and but for the police coming into contact with him he may not have ever answered these charges,” Judge Terry Gardiner said.

“That is the case yes,” Ms Devereaux said.

The man pleaded guilty to six counts of rape and three counts of indecent treatment with the offending mostly in the Mackay region.

Defence barrister Scott Moon conceded his client had been aware of the arrest warrant for the Queensland offending but said “it was never executed by police”.

Defence barrister Scott Moon.

The court heard his client had returned to Queensland after his release from jail and Mr Moon said his client had had contact with police in that time.

“Since his release from custody he’s been a reportable offender so his whereabouts has been known, he’s been reporting quarterly,” Mr Moon said.

“To report quarterly on the child protection and offender register, he’s known to police because police are the ones who manage that.”

Mr Moon submitted it was an early plea of guilty and the victims had never been required or even suggested they would have to give evidence.

MP GAVE HIM REFERENCE

Among three references Mr Moon tendered on behalf of his client was a letter written by Mirani MP Stephen Andrew that expressed how the man “expressed to him his shame and his remorse in respect to the offending”.

Mr Andrew said he had just written a general character reference for the man and had been unaware of the case particulars. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

Judge Gardiner said the reference from Mr Andrew referred to the man as having been “under a tremendous amount of stress”, which he noted was not backed up by the psychiatric report.

He said he did not accept the man was under any stress.

The court heard the report indicated there was no reason for the offending – the man had an unremarkable upbringing.

Crown prosecution argued had the man been dealt with for all the offending at the same time about 10 years jail would have been appropriate, meaning he would have served at least eight years behind bars.

Given the time he had already served, Ms Devereaux pushed for four to five years jail suspended after serving 18 months while Mr Moon argued for a wholly suspended penalty.

It was accepted that he had not reoffended for a significant time.

Judge Gardiner said the young girls had been entitled to feel safe in their home but “to some extent they were trapped there” while the man “blatantly abused the trust you had”.

“(They) were completely vulnerable to you,” Judge Gardiner said, adding it would have been a “terrifying situation” not knowing when he was going to unleash his abuse.

He jailed the man for three and a half years suspended after serving 12 months.

READ THE VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT

“I am overwhelmed with emotion because I have been carrying the weight of your actions with me for so long.

I am still trying to process the trauma that’s been inflicted upon me by you

“Memories of that night, being touched and exploited by someone who was supposed to care for me, are still etched in my mind like a fresh wound.

“The shame, the guilt, the fear that I felt as a child have left lasting scars.

“The impact on my life has been profound. The trauma of the abuse itself has left me with lasting emotional and psychological scars.

“The violations of my innocence and trust that you caused at such a young age has had a significant impact on my ability to form healthy relationships, both person and professional.

“This also had a significant impact on my education and career prospects.

“The trauma and resulting emotional distress often made it difficult for me to focus on my school work leading to poor academic performance and a sense of failure.

“This, in turn, affected my self esteem and confidence, making it challenging for me to pursue further education and advance in my career choice.

“All of this had lasting impact on my physical health as I experienced a range of physical symptoms including anxiety, depression, complex PTSD and sleep disturbances.

“These health challenges have often made it difficult for me to maintain a consistent work schedule or participate in activities that I enjoy, further impacting how I live my life.

“As a result of the abuse I have also had to navigate the complex and often overwhelming legal system seeking justice and accountability for the harm that was done to me.

“The process of reporting the abuse and participating in legal proceedings has been retraumatising.

“Having the emotional and psychological burden that I have had to carry, for nearly 20 years I’ve had the weight of all of this on my shoulders.

“Now I am strong … and confident and I will no longer let the abuse you put me through derive who I am as a person. I am the better person.”