Teen girl who was raped by classmate at house party plans to sue after school ignored repeated warnings
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains distressing content. Discretion is advised.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A teenage girl was allegedly raped at a house party in a two-hour assault in 2019. The victim and her attacker, who will only have to spend two months in jail, were both 16 at the time and attending the Blue Mountains High School in Sydney. The girl’s family is now considering suing the NSW Department of Education for ignoring multiple warnings against the culprit.
The assault happened on a mattress in the living room after the party had died down and the other attendees had gone home or retired to bed. The attacker, who remains unidentified, was sentenced on August 18, after the victim made a powerful impact statement, telling the magistrate the attacker was a ‘monster'. The boy was initially involved in consensual activity with his victim before pushing further, sexually assaulting her six times and intentionally smothering her for two hours in the living room of a house west of Sidney. He received a nine-month prison sentence with the opportunity of parole by October 25 at Parramatta Children's Court after a magistrate found him guilty in May.
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The girl disliked her attacker but was heavily affected by alcohol when the attack happened, the court heard. She described the boy as “a monster” who had left her “shamed and irreversibly damaged” and struggling with nightmares, psychological issues, and low self-esteem. “I hate you for what you did to me,” she said in a statement read by attorney Michael Bradley in court. “You don’t deserve to be happy after the cruelty you showed me. I have struggled every day since, as have my parents, little sister, friends and loved ones. He raped me and took away my virginity. It took away my confidence, my sanity and the healthy life I was leading before the attack." The girl’s family is now planning to sue the NSW Department of Education over the school’s alleged failure to respond to warnings about the boy before the attack, Bradley said.
“What happened to me happens to far too many girls in Australia,” the girl said in the statement. In addition to the custodial sentence for penis rape, the culprit will be put on probation until August 2023 for acts of digital rape, oral rape, and suffocation committed during the attack. He and his family insist on his innocence.
“The youngster showed no contrition,” the magistrate said. “(The victim) had to come to court and relive the offenses." He added, "He has, in effect, placed the blame for the offenses on her.” The boy’s lawyer had pointed out that the girl had her phone next to her during the attack but had not called others at the house for help. He also maintained that the teenager had a job and a girlfriend and planned to join the Air Force. However, the magistrate rejected this. “There’s no right way to handle the situation and no right way to act, and I’m not making any criticisms or drawing any conclusions (about her),” she said.
The Department of Education responded to the incident, saying they were working closely with police and other relevant authorities. "The Department understands this has been an incredibly traumatic experience for the victim and their family," a spokesman said. "We will continue to provide support to any students and staff who have been impacted by this matter, and extend our sympathy and support to all victims of sexual assault."
"The school reported the sexual assault to NSW Police on the same day it was made aware of it. As is appropriate with criminal allegations, NSW Police investigated the sexual assault, which occurred at a private residence, outside of school hours," he added. "If the family decides to proceed with legal action against the NSW Department of Education, we will provide any relevant documents required to be produced as part of that claim. As the family have indicated this course of action, we are unable to provide further comment."