Berwick Secondary College teacher Rinjana West avoids jail for molesting student on school trip
A sex creep teacher who molested a young Berwick student on a plane during a school trip 20 years ago has finally faced court. But despite first reporting the incident in 2004, here’s why his victim had to wait so long for justice.
South East
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Sitting next to his young student on a plane, Berwick Secondary College teacher Rinjana West reached over and touched her indecently.
The indecent assault took place as they returned from a school trip to Indonesia in 1999 but it took five years for the girl to find the courage to speak up, and bureaucratic wrangling delayed police action for another 12 years.
Finally, 20 years after the incident, West, 45, yesterday pleaded guilty in the County Court to one charge of committing an act of indecency on another person without their consent.
The charge fell under the Aviation Crimes Act because it happened on a plane.
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The court heard West and the 16-year-old girl, were returning to Melbourne when West reached over and touched her genital area.
The frightened schoolgirl “froze” and was “unable to act”.
West only stopped his assault when his victim opened her eyes.
The indecent act on the plane followed other incidents during a ten-day school trip to Indonesia.
The court heard how West told the student to “wear whatever you want” to a dinner.
West, 26 at the time, placed his hand on the schoolgirl’s knee during this dinner.
Later, West called the girl and described sexual acts he could do if she came to his room.
West didn’t look up as his victim told the court how the offence had almost ruined her life.
“This was someone I looked up to, someone I trusted,” she said.
“I didn’t understand the attention he gave me. It was hard and traumatic and I feel sick to this day still. My life would’ve been different if this didn’t happen, I would’ve been happier.”
She changed Indonesian classes when West became her teacher in Year 12.
The victim was 19 when she plucked up the courage to report West to Berwick Secondary College in 2004.
The school referred the complaint to the Education Department but the victim told the court speaking up “made it worse”.
“The school made me feel like a liar, (like) I meant nothing,” she said.
The 2004 complaint was referred to police but the investigation stalled on a jurisdictional level as the offence occurred in international airspace.
The matter was reopened in 2016.
The court heard how another girl made a complaint against West but that matter would not be proceeding.
West resigned from the school in 2016 after he was approached by police.
Judge John Carmody said West committed a “significant breach of trust”.
“You betrayed the trust of her, her parents and the school,” he said.
“You took advantage of the conditions of an overseas trip. The protection of vulnerable young people is paramount.”
West was given a nine-month sentence wholly suspended for two years.
He was also placed on the sexual offenders register for eight years.