Paternity test snares Launceston rapist three decades after attack on teenager

A Tasmanian man whose strenuous denials of historical rape were exposed by DNA evidence proving he was the father of his victim’s adult son has been jailed for four years.

A 67-year-old man, whose name was suppressed by the Supreme Court of Tasmania, was found guilty by a jury of raping the 17-year-old daughter of a family friend in Launceston more than 30 years ago, when he was aged 35. Picture: NewsWire

A Tasmanian man whose strenuous denials of historical rape were exposed by DNA evidence proving he was the father of his victim’s son has been jailed for four years.

The 67-year-old man, whose name was suppressed by the Supreme Court of Tasmania, was found guilty by a jury of raping the 17-year-old daughter of a family friend in Launceston more than 30 years ago, when he was aged 35.

In sentencing, Justice Robert Pearce said the jury had been satisfied beyond reasonable doubt the defendant had raped the teenager at his home in February 1994 on the night his wife and children were visiting family in another part of the state.

After the complainant contacted police about the man’s offending in 2019, he told interviewing detectives that there had never been any sexual intercourse with the teenager.

“The falsity of that denial was exposed when DNA testing revealed that you were the biological father of the complainant’s son born in November 1994, thus establishing the truth of the complainant’s account to the extent that there must have been at least one occasion of sexual intercourse in February of that year,” Justice Pearce said.

“I am satisfied of the truth of the complainant’s evidence that you gave her some alcohol and, when she said she did not feel well, you suggested that she go to your bed.

“You then took her clothes off, removed your own clothes and had sexual intercourse with her even though she kept telling you no and that she did not want this to happen.

“There was no room for any mistake.”

Justice Pearce said that although the rape had not involved threats of violence, the crime involved the supply of alcohol and was a breach of a very young person’s trust.

The complaint’s subsequent pregnancy and birth of a child was a substantially aggravating factor in the case, His Honour said.

“The crime of rape is always serious,” Justice Pearce said.

“It involves the profound sexual violation and degradation of victims.

“I have no victim impact statement in this case but I have little doubt that the crime was highly traumatic for her and has led to long- term psychological distress.

“This crime was committed more than thirty years ago. There have been many changes in your life since then. However, there remains a need to demonstrate that crimes of this nature, whenever they were committed, will not go unpunished.

“There has been no expression of remorse or contrition.”

Justice Pearce sentenced the defendant to four years’ imprisonment, ordering that he not be eligible for parole until having served half that term, and that his name be placed on the state’s community offender register for a period of three years following his release.