Kent Rowe faces day one of trial for alleged rape of family member

Kent Rowe, who is accused of molesting a family member almost two decades ago, later told her what he did was ‘abhorrent’, a court has heard.

A Darwin man accused of molesting a family member almost two decades ago later apologised “repeatedly”, telling her what he did was “abhorrent”, a court has heard.

Kent Rowe, 39, pleaded not guilty on the first day of his trial in the Supreme Court on Monday to raping the woman when he was aged in his early 20s.

In her opening address to jurors, Crown prosecutor Tami Grealy told the court the woman would tell them Rowe had digitally penetrated her when she was a child.

Ms Grealy said that as well as the woman’s own evidence, the jury would hear from people she told about the alleged abuse, including Rowe’s wife, Rebecca Want de Rowe.

“When Ms Want de Rowe gives evidence, I expect she’ll also tell you that after speaking to the complainant, she confronted the accused in 2018 and you’ll hear the conversation that took place then,” she said.

Kent Rowe leaves court with wife Rebecca Want de Rowe on Monday. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“In 2018, you’ll hear, the accused and the complainant attended a family meeting where she said her piece to him but he didn’t respond.”

Ms Grealy said the woman finally went to police last year and participated in a “pretext call”, which was recorded by investigators and would be played to the court.

“You will hear the accused apologise to her repeatedly, he refers to what he did as ‘abhorrent’,” she said.

Rowe’s barrister Jon Tippett QC did not make an opening address to the jury and the trial continues before Chief Justice Michael Grant in a closed court.