Child rapist’s final blow to victim’s grieving family

His young victim ended his own life 10 weeks after Robert John Dendle brutally raped and sexually assaulted him. Now Dendle's next action is set to add more pain to the boy's family's grief.

A 13-YEAR-OLD rape victim never lived to see justice, ending his own life 10 weeks after he was brutally raped by a trusted family friend.

Robert John Dendle was sentenced to 12 years in jail for his vile and horrific acts on the lad four years ago in southeast Queensland.

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The fact that Dendle pleaded not guilty to the charges was just one of the ways he showed a complete lack of remorse for his crimes, court documents reveal.

In a further blow to the victim's family, the 36-year-old appealed his conviction and sentence in the Queensland Court of Appeal, arguing there had been a miscarriage of justice and that his sentence was too high.

Dendle appealed his conviction and sentence in the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Dendle was living in the Moreton Bay region when he violently pushed the teenager onto a bed about 10.30pm on November 21, 2015.

He put a pillow over the child's face and a hand over his mouth before subjecting him to four hours of abuse.

At the end of the ordeal he threatened the boy and told him if he ever told his father: "You know what I am gonna do".

Dendle also attempted to blackmail the boy into silence, but the victim told his family the following day and he gave a video statement to police.

As the boy died before Dendle faced trial, the video was the teenager's only recorded account of the brutal act.

Dendle was convicted of two counts of rape and three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 in Brisbane District Court in May last year.

The sentencing judge noted the abuse was the "predominant factor" in the young teenager's death.

After he was convicted, Dendle asked the Queensland Court of Appeal to quash the conviction, basing his main point of contention on the fact that his victim had died.

He claimed the child could not be cross-examined under oath and also said the police interview footage should have been excluded.

The Court of Appeal released its judgment this week, ruling the conviction would stand and that it was appropriate that the jury saw the police tape.

The court also upheld Dendle's 12-year jail sentence. - NewsRegional

*For 24-hour sexual assault support call the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Mensline on 1800 600 636

*The Suicide Call Back service is on 1300 659 467

Originally published as Child rapist’s final blow to victim’s grieving family