Three sisters assaulted by a Latrobe Valley sex offender in the 1970s have warned other sex abuse victims against prolonging their silence.
Their plea comes after their attacker was jailed for a minimum sentence of three years and nine months in the County Court on Friday, for the sexual and physical assault of the sisters more than three decades ago.
The 66 year-old man, whose name has been withheld to protect the victims’ identity, was found guilty on 11 charges, including two counts of carnal knowledge of a girl under 10, multiple counts of unlawful and indecent assault, and assault with intent to rape a girl under 16.
However the man was acquitted of numerous other charges in the week-long trial.
In handing down the seven-year maximum sentence, Judge John Smallwood said the man was being trialled as a serious sex offender, describing the culprit’s conduct as “extremely serious”.
Speaking outside of the Latrobe Valley court complex on behalf of the three now middle-aged women, the oldest sister said they felt “let down” by the length of the sentence.
“We’re pleased he has received jail time, but it feels inappropriate and insufficient; he simply should’ve got more,” she said.
When asked if she regretted not coming forward earlier, she replied, “you have no idea”.
“We hope others who have had to go through this come out much sooner than we have, instead of trying to live with it, only to receive this small outcome at the end.”
Before sentencing, the court heard the offender had come into the girls’ lives after entering a relationship with their mother.
Soon after he moved in with the family where the couple lived in a de facto arrangement.
In 1971, the culprit entered the bedroom of the middle daughter, “seven or eight” years old at the time, took her to the lounge room couch where he placed his hand inside her underpants before engaging in intercourse on the lounge room floor.
The court also heard of later incidents, between 1975 to 1978, in which the culprit digitally penetrated the middle daughter on his parked motorcycle after picking her up from school, and at secluded bush land locations on two separate occasions.
In the third bush land encounter, the offender also ejaculated inside her, which Justice Smallwood said had “beyond reasonable doubt” caused pregnancy, and led to the girl alerting her mother to the assaults.
However subsequent accusations were denied by the offender on two separate occasions.
The court heard in 1977, shortly after her ninth birthday, the youngest daughter climbed into bed with her mother, who soon after got out of bed to shower, leaving the victim alone in bed with the man, then in his late 20s, who had sex with the girl.
Justice Smallwood labelled one incident as “simply disgraceful”, when the man, while home alone with the eldest daughter, was told she had never tongue kissed before.
The court heard the man replied “I’ll give you a tongue kiss you’ll never forget. I’ll push my tongue so far down your throat you wouldn’t have to come back”.
The man was found guilty to four counts of common law assault against the eldest daughter, who he pointed a loaded .22 rifle at after drinking (before holding it against the head of her mother), slapped her across the face during an argument, and was assaulted repeatedly with a piece of timber across the legs and torso after coming home late one night.
In their victim statements, the women said the ongoing abuse had led to widespread emotional and mental problems, ongoing relationship problems and failures, significant education difficulties and trouble trusting men.
The youngest daughter said she put on weight and slammed her limbs in the doorway during the period of abuse in an attempt look unattractive, however said she was unsuccessful in stopping the abuse.
“At 57, you think you’ve moved on, but you don’t – it just stays with you,” the older sister said outside of court.
Justice Smallwood said the man’s sentencing took into account his age and poor health and the time which had passed since the incidents.
“Whilst this may seen to be a long time ago to outsiders, there is no doubt it is very constant to each of the three girls,” Justice Smallgood said.
However Justice Smallwood also acknowledging his “long tumultuous history” with the law, having already served years in separate terms for aggravated burglary, recklessly causing serious injury, and three counts of indecent assault, in which he took a woman hostage and orally and digitally raped over a five-hour period during the 1980s.
Justice Smallwood said the offender’s “guilty” plea to the majority had spared him significant jail time.
The culprit has been placed on the sexual offenders register, and will be required to report to authorities for life.
The Express has withheld numerous details from this story so as to protect the identity of the victims.
