Questions raised after an old character reference was used to defend sex offender Jeff ‘Joffa’ Corfe

A victims of crime advocate says a more robust system is needed to check “good character” references following the controversy over convicted pedophile Jeff “Joffa” Corfe.

The state’s leading victims of crime advocate has called for an overhaul of the “good character” reference system in the aftermath of the Jeff “Joffa” Corfe scandal.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday said Victoria may need to consider stricter rules for character references following revelations an old statement from a charity boss was used to vouch for convicted pedophile Corfe.

Jeremy Maxwell, a former fundraising general manager for the Epilepsy Foundation, had no idea an old reference by him had been used to support Corfe in court, the Herald Sun revealed on Wednesday. Mr Maxwell said he was appalled at the betrayal.

The shocking revelation has prompted calls for greater checks on character references, with the former Collingwood cheer squad leader’s victim Alex Case slamming the “miscarriage of justice”.

An old character reference used to support Jeff ‘Joffa’ Corfe in court. Picture: Getty

Mr Andrews said he would not comment on Corfe’s case, but “as a point of policy, not a specific thing, perhaps, we do (need stricter rules)”.

“Perhaps we do need to make sure that when people are vouching for others or people are handing up material that it is as contemporary as possible,” he said.

Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner Fiona McCormack said the system needed to be more robust, adding victims were “gutted” by “unbalanced focus” during sentencing hearings.

“While victims have to submit victim impact statements as statutory declarations, and abide by strict evidentiary rules, offenders’ good character references are seemingly submitted without any real checks and balances,” Ms McCormack said.

“Character references should be subject to the same stringent requirements as victim impact statements.

Jeffrey ‘Joffa’ Corfe is the former Collingwood cheer squad leader. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“Victims tell me they’re gutted at the unbalanced focus on the offender during sentencing. (They) are often distressed that defence counsel can offer numerous mitigating factors, seemingly unchallenged, while the court can rule as inadmissable the whole or any part of a victim’s … impact statement.”

Corfe last week escaped jail over the 2005 attack on Mr Case – who was just 14 at the time – with County Court Judge Gerard Mullaly handing him a suspended 12-month sentence and noting his “good character” as a key factor.

But the Herald Sun uncovered serious issues with two of his references, one from Mr Maxwell – who once appointed Corfe as a volunteer ambassador at the Epilepsy Foundation – and another from Father Bob Maguire.

Father Bob, 88, said he had no memory of writing a reference for Corfe and it was later revealed the reference had been obtained through his foundation, not him directly.

Questions are being raised over a character reference used in the defence of Corfe. Picture: Getty

The Office of Public Prosecutions declined to comment on Corfe’s case specifically, but said as a “general proposition”, the responsibility for documents provided to the court lay with the party relying on them.

In sentencing, Judge Mullaly noted Mr Maxwell had written to the court to say: “I regard Jeff as one of life’s great characters and truly believe the world is a better place with him in it”.

But Mr Maxwell told the Herald Sun he was unaware of the details of the case or that his words had been used to support a convicted paedophile.

“It’s appalling,” he said.

Mr Maxwell said his statement should be withdrawn from the court, saying the reference was written many years before the allegations were made against Corfe and he couldn’t recall exactly when that was, or for what purpose.

“It feels like I’ve been used. He (Corfe) is not the person I thought he was. It makes me question everything I know about him. I could never trust him. If I’d have known, I’d never have let it be used,” he said.

The Herald Sun has discovered the old reference was given to Corfe’s legal team by a member of his family.

Louis Dean, Corfe’s solicitor from Slades & Parsons Criminal Lawyers, said he then attempted to contact Mr Maxwell, but “he didn’t respond”.

Mr Dean gave the reference to the court, regardless, but maintained he followed the correct processes.

Christopher Terry, the barrister who appeared for Corfe in the County Court, said he relied on information provided by his instructing solicitor and assumed referees were aware, adding he was alarmed to be told otherwise.

Joffa has returned to his home in Ipswich, Queensland after facing court. Picture: Instagram

Mr Case said he was “pretty shocked”.

“When providing my victim impact statement, I was required to give it in the form of a statutory declaration – why wasn’t this required for his good character references when it seems they were given just as much weight, if not more, when determining the sentence?” He said.

Issues have also emerged with a reference purported to have been given by Father Bob Maguire.

During sentencing, Judge Mullaly said Father Bob had written to the court to give his “unconditional support of Joffa”, triggering social media criticism of the well-respected priest and community worker.

Corfe was handed a 12-month suspended sentence. Picture: NCA NewsWire

But the 88-year-old said he had no memory of writing a reference for Corfe and Mr Dean admitted he did not obtain the reference directly from Father Bob, but rather through the Father Bob Maguire Foundation.

The foundation confirmed it had the reference on record, dated June 6, 2022, but could not say who wrote it, with speculation it was organised by a volunteer without the charity’s authorisation.

There are also questions around the other “good character” references used in the defence of Corfe, which were listed as “undated” or issued in June 2022, six months before Corfe pleaded guilty to child sexual assault.

It is not the first time character references have been called into question.

The Herald Sun in 2021 revealed the former Mount Scopus principal spruiked as a star reference for fake teacher Neil Lennie had no idea.

Dr Steven Lorch said it was “dismaying” that decades-old letters were used in Mr Lennie’s defence and it was “immoral” his permission had not been sought.

Shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien said: “A victim’s impact statement is heavily scrutinised while too often character references for criminals are treated as gospel. This might be our legal system but it’s not close to a justice system.”

A spokesperson for Judge Mullaly and the County Court said that all “good character” referees should be made aware how their statements were being used in the court.

But the County Court would not explain why old and undated references were accepted in the Corfe case.

And the Office of Public Prosecutions would not confirm if it had taken measures to check the validity of the references.

In his victim impact statement, 32-year-old Mr Case said Corfe’s attack “planted something so toxic in my mind that for 15 years I was convinced that I was a bad person and that I deserved nothing good”.

He has urged the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the leniency of the sentence.

Originally published as Questions raised after an old character reference was used to defend sex offender Jeff ‘Joffa’ Corfe