Former Australian Politician Sentenced for More Than Half a Decade for Criminal Acts
A former Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men encountered via work has been sentenced to five years and nine months in jail.
Case Details
The defendant, forty-four, has been in custody since last summer after a jury determined his guilt of raping an individual and indecently assaulting another individual, in multiple events in 2013 then 2015.
Ward acted for the oceanfront municipality of the regional area in the New South Wales government from over a decade ago. He stepped down as a government minister when allegations emerged in 2021 but refused to quit the legislature and returned to office in 2023.
Sentencing Details
Justice the court official considered the defendant's condition of sight disability in her sentence and determined "no alternative punishment except for incarceration would be suitable".
The defendant, who appeared via remote connection at Parramatta District Court, will undergo at no less than 45 months in prison before he can seek early release.
The court official declared the legal system needs to "deliver a strong warning to potential criminals that illegal behaviors such as this will be subject to serious punishments".
Additional Information
The judge added Ward had "avoided punishment for a decade and enjoyed a life absent a rehabilitation program or penalty for his actions during that time".
Post-trial, the politician launched a rejected appeal attempt to continue in parliament and left office shortly before the members could remove him.
Defense attorneys has indicated before he aims to challenge the ruling.
Incident Details
The defendant's nine-week trial in the state court heard that he asked a intoxicated 18-year-old man to his property in the first incident and sexually abused him three times, despite resistance attempts to resist.
Two years later, he raped a mid-twenties political staffer at his property after a gathering at government offices.
He had argued the later assault didn't happen, and that the other complainant was inaccurate regarding their meeting from the earlier year.
The state's attorneys contended that significant resemblances in the statements of the victims, who had no connection to each other, demonstrated they were being honest.
Court members debated for 72 hours before delivering the findings of guilt.
Ward's resignation prompted a special election in Kiama in autumn, which was won by the Labor candidate.
