Gareth Ward, a New South Wales politician, was found guilty of rape and indecent assault against two young men. Despite resigning from his ministerial role and the Liberal Party, he continued his parliamentary career, and will face sentencing later this year.
Australian Politician Gareth Ward Convicted of Rape and Indecent Assault
Australian Politician Gareth Ward Convicted of Rape and Indecent Assault
NSW politician Gareth Ward found guilty of sexually assaulting two young men; faces sentencing later this year while retaining parliamentary position.
A New South Wales politician, Gareth Ward, has been convicted of sexually assaulting two young men, a decision that has sent ripples through the Australian political landscape. The jury found Ward, a sitting member of the State Parliament, guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape after a thorough nine-week trial in the NSW District Court.
The victims, aged 18 and 24 at the time of the assaults, detailed their experiences of being assaulted at Ward's home after establishing contact through political affiliations between 2013 and 2015. Although Ward stepped down from his role as a state government minister and from the Liberal Party following the allegations in 2021, he continued to serve as the representative for Kiama after being re-elected in 2023.
Over the course of the jury's three-day deliberation, they were presented with compelling evidence. The trial revealed that Ward had brought a intoxicated 18-year-old man to his home in 2013, where he indecently assaulted him multiple times, even as the victim attempted to resist. Additionally, in 2015, Ward was accused of raping a political staffer after an official event in parliament.
Ward's defense claimed that the allegations were fabricated, arguing that the incidents did not occur as described. Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles refuted this, highlighting the striking similarities in the accounts provided by both men—each had no prior knowledge of the other and recounted similar details about their encounters. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," Knowles stated during the proceedings.
As Ward awaits sentencing later this year, discussions within the NSW government regarding his potential expulsion from parliament had been previously considered but halted due to legal advice cautioning against actions that could influence his ongoing trial. With Ward having served as a state MP since 2011, the implications of this conviction reverberate beyond the courtroom, raising questions about accountability and integrity in public office in Australia.
