A man facing court in Sydney for the abuse, rape, torture and imprisonment of his young daughter over a period of 13 years has been sentenced to at least 36 years jail. His wife, who was complicit in the abuse, was sentenced to a minumum of 12 years for her role.
The 59-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was found guilty on 73 charges related to the longterm sexual abuse of his daughter. He was reported to have imprisoned his daughter in a converted shed on his property in northern NSW, where she would be kept for days at a time. The Daily Telegraph reports that the man was an elite athlete who had qualified for the Olympics, and the ABC says that he has connections to elite sport.
The abuse began when the girl was 5 and continued until she was nineteen. Her mother, who was long considered a pillar of the community, was also involved in the sexual abuse of the child.
Judge Sarah Huggett elaborated before a court on the severity of both the offences and the psychological impact on the daughter:
I have no doubt at all that for many years of her life the victim was confused, helpless and terrified by what occurred outside of the public eye and in the privacy of her home.Looking carefully at all circumstances pertaining to the father I have no doubt at all that all his conduct was deliberate, determined and premeditated. He deliberately conditioned his daughter using psychological, emotional and psychological means to the point she would have come to expect he would abuse her as and when he wished.
Huggett added she had to suspend her natural feelings as a human being when preparing sentences for the father and mother.
The man will first be eligible for parole in 2049, with Judge Huggett suggesting that it is very likely he will die behind bars. His wife will first be eligible for parole in 2027.
Source: ABC News.
Photo: Getty Images.
