Man walks free after admitting to sex abuse of sister, 12

The Warwick court heard the man was 15 at the time and said he is ‘tormented’ by memories of the assaults.

IN COURT: The now-37yo pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his younger sister when they were both children. Picture: iStock

A Southern Downs man has walked free from court after pleading guilty to sexually abusing his little sister several times when he was a teenager.

The man sexually assaulted the 12-year-old girl on three occasions at their former Stanthorpe home between July 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999, when he was aged 15.

The Warwick District Court heard the now 37-year-old, who cannot be named, denied the allegations when questioned by police despite admitting to the abuse in a previous phone call with his sister.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Muir said the man stopped the assaults after his sister asked him to, and had committed no other sex offences before or since.

Mr Muir also submitted a victim impact statement from the man's sister to the court, which he outlined the "immense and ongoing impact" the crimes had on her daily life.

Defence barrister Jessica Goldie told the court her client expressed shame and remorse to his sister, describing how the memories "tormented" him.

"At that age, I definitely shouldn't have done what I did … I didn't know what was right and what was wrong. It was wrong and it never should have happened," Ms Goldie read from the phone call transcript.

Ms Goldie said the man had since relocated to Warwick and was father to two young children, but still struggled with depression and anxiety.

He was supported by his mother and partner from the back of the courtroom.

Judge Nathan Jarro condemned the "intolerable" sexual abuse, but acknowledged the man was a child himself at the time who now expressed genuine remorse for his actions.

The man pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent treatment of a child aged under 16, and one count of procuring a child under 16 to complete an indecent act.

He was sentenced to 12 months' probation and no conviction was recorded.

 

 

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