Northern Territory teen on bail after raping young girl commits second rape

A teenager who raped a 12-year-old girl in a remote Northern Territory community went on to rape another 13-year-old girl while on bail for the first offence.

NT Supreme Court in Darwin, with Northern Territory parliament in background. Generic Picture: Zizi Averill

A teenager who raped a 12-year-old girl in a remote Northern Territory community went on to rape another 13-year-old girl while on bail for the first offence.

Peter Lansen was this month sentenced to five years in prison over the two rapes that occurred in a Top End community in 2020 and 2022. Justice Jenny Blokland set a minimum non-parole period of three years.

In her sentencing remarks, Justice Blokland said Lansen had committed the first rape on August 15, 2020, when he was 17-years-old.

The 12-year-old girl was a friend of his cousin.

After promising to look after the victim, he subsequently forced himself on her and raped her.

The girl provided a victim impact statement to the court saying the rape had severely affected her mental health.

“She has attempted to take her life on at least four occasions, which she tells the court in her victim impact statement,” Justice Blokland said.

“Her family had noticed a change in her behaviour and demeanour before the offending came to light.

“The victim feels she will struggle with her mental health. She says in her victim impact statement that she does not think her mental health will ever be okay.”

Police were notified of the rape about seven months after it occurred when the girl reported the incident to a relative while attending boarding school.

Lansen was arrested on March 1, 2022 and later charged.

He declined to participate in an interview but was given bail.

Nine months later, Lansen, now aged 19, raped a 13-year-old girl while still on bail over the first offence.

Justice Blokland said Lansen had sex with the girl twice, on December 14, 2022 and December 17, 2022.

While the girl, who was six years younger than Lansen, agreed to have sex with him, Justice Blokland said this did not excuse the behaviour.

“Notwithstanding the victim may be viewed as a willing participant, at 13, she was still a young vulnerable girl who did not have the maturity to understand the consequences of sexual acts of the kind which comprised the offending,” she said.

“This was not a boyfriend/girlfriend situation where the only lack of morality is a difference in age.

“This is an example of predatory-style behaviour towards a young vulnerable girl.

“This was committed while he was on bail for the serious sexual offending against the first complainant in time.”

The rape was revealed about two weeks after the offending when the girl attended a medical appointment.

Lansen was arrested on May 25, 2023, and remanded in custody.

In her victim impact statement, the girl said she was now more cautious around men.

“I feel like this made me grow up too fast, and I did not get a proper childhood,” she said.

“I am less trusting of people now. It mentally grew me up too quick. I feel manipulated by him into thinking it was a good thing.”

In sentencing Lansen, Justice Blokland took into account his guilty plea and his relatively young age.

He was sentenced to five years in prison with a non-parole period of three years.

With time already served he will be eligible for parole in May next year.