Frank Zumbo to be sentenced for indecently assaulting electorate office staff

A former trusted adviser to ex-federal MP Craig Kelly has heard how his repeated groping and kissing of young female employees at the electorate office continues to affect them years later.

Frank Zumbo pictured as he arrives at Downing Centre.

A former trusted adviser to ex-federal MP Craig Kelly has heard how his repeated groping and kissing of young female employees at the electorate office continues to affect them years later.

Francesco “Frank” Zumbo, 56, was earlier found guilty of seven charges of aggravated indecent assault with a victim under his authority and one charge of assault with act of indecency.

He was further acquitted of two sexual touching charges related to one complainant and multiple back-up common assault charges at the Downing Centre Local Court in February following a 17-day hearing.

The charges related to four women employed by Zumbo at former Hughes MP Craig Kelly’s Sutherland electorate office between 2014 and 2020.

In a victim impact statement, one of the women said she no longer felt “completely safe or happy” and spoke about the difficulty in reliving her experience when giving evidence.

Frank Zumbo appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday with his barrister Carolyn Davenport. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

She spoke about feeling “isolated,” “scared to leave” her house and how she missed out on formative experiences, describing how she would have “preferred not to wake up” some days and lived in a “bubble of terror”.

The woman said she continued to have nightmares and felt scared when she was touched.

She said she felt “like a shell of person” who could not eat, sleep and struggled to interact with her family when she worked in the office.

Frank Zumbo with solicitor Michael Moussa (left) in February 2024.

One of the other victims said she lived in fear, was paranoid and felt she was being watched, adding she felt deep depression and stress when she was employed at the office.

The woman said she felt she was a “failure” when she achieved milestones in her professional career, adding she continued to “fear men in the workplace” and Zumbo’s offending “no doubt stumped” her career prospects.

Frank Zumbo at an earlier court date.

“I am proud to have chosen not to make myself a victim, and I have learnt to finally stand on my own two feet,” she said.

Zumbo’s barrister Carolyn Davenport submitted to the court the only skin-to-skin touching was on the leg in one instance, and kissing on the cheeks and lips.

An assault in which one of the women was touched on the breast occurred over her clothing.

Zumbo’s victims were employees and volunteers at ex-Hughes federal MP Craig Kelly’s Sutherland electorate office. Mr Kelly is not accused of any wrongdoing.

The court heard Zumbo previously had a successful career as an academic at the University of New South Wales, and then in Mr Kelly’s electorate office until he was charged.

Ms Davenport said Zumbo had suffered “extracurial punishment” because he had not worked since he was charged and it was unlikely he would again in the academic or political spheres.

She noted he had been “shunned” by his former colleagues, adding there were no supporting letters and he had been “cut off from his previous life”.

Ms Davenport further submitted most of the victims continued to work at the office after the touching.

The court heard Zumbo previously enjoyed a successful career as an academic at the University of New South Wales, and then in Mr Kelly’s electorate office until he was charged.

Frank Zumbo at court (right).

Crown prosecutor Shaun Croner said a sentence of full time imprisonment was appropriate, saying Zumbo “drew the women into a world of his own design where he was the director of everything”.

He said this was a case of the “powerful and powerless” where he used his influence from the academic and political sphere to promise the woman political employment and careers.

Mr Croner said Zumbo would “coax each victim into accepting physical advances” and would ensure their silence with his “oppressive and relentless” conversations with them.

He also noted there was a significant age difference between Zumbo, who was 47 and 51 years, and the women.

The court heard Zumbo had not written a letter of apology and Mr Croner submitted there was no evidence of his remorse.

Zumbo will be sentenced on April 12.