Warnambool,
Victoria — THE mother of a Warrnambool teenager
who lost her virginity to a woman who posed as man during
their two-year relationship is furious the offender will
not see jail time.
Yesterday, a spokeswoman
for Office of Public Prosecutions director Paul Coghlan
said the woman's November sentence would not be appealed
against.
The perpetrator was given
a two-year suspended jail sentence and ordered to attend
a sex offender's program.
She pleaded guilty to
nine counts of sexual penetration of a child under the
age of 16.
Victoria's chief crime
victims advocate Noel McNamara and the victim's family
hoped an appeal would see the woman jailed.
The victim's mother said
it seemed grossly unfair her daughter was forced to flee
to NSW to avoid further victimisation.
"I'm furious that my
daughter cannot come back to this area," she
said.
"I worry about her all
the time. She has a long road ahead of her.
"She is home at the
moment for Christmas but will go again.
"I don't think there was
ever a chance (the OPP) was going to appeal.
"Their prosecution in the
court was more like the defence.
"They were totally in
support of the person receiving treatment and didn't
think this person could go to prison.
"We hoped there would be
even a short prison term, just to give some justice to
the victim.
"I think the Australian
judicial system should be very wary of what they are
doing.
"In other countries this
is how vigilantes start."
Mr McNamara, who is
president of the Crime Victoria Support Association
<http://www.cvsa.asn.au/> and
chairs the People's Sentencing Advisory Council, said he
was very disappointed.
"It's pretty poor
really," he said.
"We thought that
something would be done about this one.
"Sex crimes are getting
under my skin a lot lately.
"One bloke can get 18
years and another one walks away and is told to get on
with their life.
"She has essentially got
off. There is no punishment there and suppressing the
(offender's) name - that's disgraceful. Their name should
be published as part of the punishment.
"Not having that stinks
as well."
Neither the offender nor
victim can be identified following a court suppression
order.
The OPP spokeswoman said
Mr Coghlan had considered the case and concluded that
under the circumstances the sentence was not eligible for
appeal.
