Woman appears on child sex offences

A Southland woman narrowly avoided a prison sentence for child sex offences after her mother offered her address for the woman to serve an electronically monitored bail sentence. The woman appeared in the Gore District Court yesterday on three charges of doing an indecent act on a nine-year-old boy between February 1 and March 26, 2018.

Defence council Simon Claver said there were three points the woman wanted to clarify with the judge before sentencing: she was never sexually aroused and was not sexually aroused by children, her recent suicide attempt was because of the possibility of her not seeing her children again, and at the time of her offending, her medication had been changed, which changed her behaviour.

She was prepared to go to counselling so she could rebuild a relationship with her children, Claver said.

For the Crown, Mike Mika said given the seriousness of the offending and the ‘‘gross breach of trust’’ sentencing should begin with three years’ jail.

Judge G A Rea said the woman presented to mental health services suffering from anxiety and depression, where she admitted her offending. She then went to the police.

The first two offences were ‘‘relatively low level’’ but the third was more serious.

Probation Services said she

‘‘The things I have read are quite frankly frightening.’’ Judge G A Rea

posed a significant risk and it was opposed to her serving bail at her current address because of the influence of her boyfriend, Rea said.

‘‘The psychiatric report is in fact chilling.

‘‘It is very difficult to know where the trust begins and ends and how much is fantasy.

‘‘She needs help more than she needs punishment but it needs to be done in a way that the safety of the community is paramount while her needs are addressed.’’

Rea indicated a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment.

However, Claver said the woman’s parents had offered their address for a sentence of home detention.

Claver told the court that the woman’s boyfriend had left.

‘‘If we can avoid putting another person in prison then I think we should,’’ Rea said.

‘‘It would be fair to say that up to this point you have been your own worst enemy and the things I have read are quite frankly frightening.’’

The woman, who showed no emotion while in court, was remanded on bail until November 14 for sentencing.