Sentence review for child rapist demanded
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has called on the state’s Attorney-General to launch an appeal against the “manifestly inadequate” sentence handed down to a convicted child sex offender from Dubbo, after the case was exposed by The Daily Telegraph.
Suppression orders prevent the naming of the convicted pedophile, 55, who was given a two-year suspended sentence after being convicted of 10 offences of child sex abuse dating from the 1980s. The man can be known only as TM.
The man, who raped and abused young girls at his church, avoided jail as a judge granted him leniency for a series of bizarre reasons – including his high cholesterol, how the case had caused him trouble sleeping and because his farm had once gone through drought and he had never participated in sex education at school.
“What I’m seeing here is the rights of the criminal, his insomnia or his high cholesterol is put before the rights of victims,” Mr Foley said. “The sentence is woefully out of line with community expectations.
“If you rape children you belong in prison.”
Attorney-General Mark Speakman said the Director of Public Prosecutions was investigating an appeal and would also attempt to lift a non-publication order.
Mr Foley said Mr Speakman should use his powers to immediately order an appeal.
Two of the man’s victims say they want the suppression orders lifted so they can reveal full details of their cases.