Australian state MP Gareth Ward found guilty of rape and indecent assault
Gareth Ward, 44, the independent MP for Kiama, was convicted by a jury at the Downing Centre District Court on Friday over separate incidents involving the two men in 2013 and 2015.
The former Liberal minister had denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Ward was convicted on three counts of assault with an act of indecency against an 18-year-old man in 2013 and a count of intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
The prosecution argued the accounts of both men, who didn't know each other, were remarkably similar, while the defence claimed the allegations were false. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," crown prosecutor Monika Knowles said.
The MP was accused of inviting the drunk teenager to his South Coast home in February 2013 and assaulting him three times in one night despite the young man's attempts to resist.
Two years later, Ward raped an intoxicated staffer after an event at the NSW Parliament House.
Ward claimed the 2015 rape never took place and that the other complainant was misremembering their encounter from 2013.
Ward has been granted conditional bail to reside at one of his two homes.
The Crown will make a detention application next Wednesday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Ward was first elected to the state parliament as a Liberal MP in 2011 before being appointed parliamentary secretary in 2015. He went on to become the minister for families, communities and disability services after the 2019 election.
Ward resigned from both the ministry and the Liberal Party in May 2021 after disclosing that he was the subject of a police investigation. He then moved to the crossbench as an independent.
Two years later, he was re-elected as the independent MP for Kiama, narrowly defeating Labor nominee Katelin McInerney.
Mark Speakman, leader of the opposition in the NSW assembly, said he would respect the verdict 'and the robust process which delivered it'.
'What any victim of sexual abuse endures is appalling and their strength in coming forward can't be overstated,' he said.
'There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour which the jury has found occurred beyond reasonable doubt – a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them.'
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Labor and Coalition want convicted rapist Gareth Ward expelled from NSW parliament
Moves are afoot to expel the MP for Kiama, Gareth Ward, from the New South Wales parliament after he was convicted of serious sexual offences involving two young men. State parliament sits next week and Ward has not yet said whether he intends to appeal Friday's convictions. The MP has also not indicated whether he might resign from parliament and did not respond to questions from Guardian Australia. Ward was granted bail ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, when the prosecution will seek to have him taken into custody ahead of his sentencing. A date for that is due to be set on Wednesday. The 44-year-old stood trial in the NSW district court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. Several politicians have been convicted of 'an infamous crime' or a crime that carries a sentence of five years or more – which is the threshold that disqualifies a person from sitting in the NSW parliament. Most have chosen to resign when they have been charged and were well out of parliament by the time they were convicted. So the question of how lodging an appeal – or winning an appeal – might affect an MPs right to sit in the parliament has rarely arisen. Both major parties are hoping that Ward will choose to resign from parliament and the matter is resolved quickly. But Ward has, to date, shown little inclination to end his own political career. In 2021, Ward left the Liberal party and moved to the crossbench after identifying himself as the state MP under investigation by the child abuse and sex crimes squad of the NSW police force. When charges were laid in March 2022, then NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for his resignation. On 24 March 2022, Ward was suspended after a motion unanimously passed the Legislative Assembly. In mid-August 2022, Ward was committed to stand trial. But Ward's voters in the south coast state seat of Kiama re-elected him in March 2023 and he returned to Macquarie Street. The Minns government believes Ward should not sit in parliament now he is convicted of serious crimes and that seniment is echoed by the opposition. The premier, Chris Minns, said on Monday that Ward should resign or he would move a motion to expel him. Minns stressed Ward was convicted of 'incredibly serious charges' relating to 'multiple accusers.' 'He should resign,' the premier told reporters. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not just accused, not just charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament. 'You name me one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue as an employee, facing that kind of jail time.' Minns said he had sought legal advice from the NSW cabinet office and believed expulsion was an option. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion But it's not straightforward. The expulsion cannot be 'punitive' but must be founded on protecting the integrity of the NSW parliament. That will mean establishing that Ward's conduct brings the house into disrepute and that he cannot adequately perform his duties – which would be easier to argue if he was incarcerated. 'It seems ridiculous that he could stay as a member of parliament. Steps need to be taken,' Minns said. He said it was 'untenable' for Ward to remain the MP for Kiama. Minns does not have a majority in the Legislative Assembly so would need the opposition or crossbenchers to gain the bare majority needed to pass an expulsion motion. The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has said he would support an expulsion motion, subject to seeing the government's legal advice. 'The jury finding is about behaviour that is sickening,' Speakman told reporters on Monday. 'He should not be in parliament; his position is untenable. There is no way he can effectively represent his constituents. He should resign, and if he doesn't, parliament must take all the steps it can to protect its integrity.' Ward could alternatively be suspended or granted leave but both options would result in the convicted rapist continuing to receive his parliamentary salary and entitlements until he resigned, the next election was held in March 2027 or all appeals were finalised. These alternatives would prevent a by-election from being held. An expulsion or suspension could be challenged in the courts. There have been only a handful of cases challenging orders of parliament but, as constitutional expert Anne Twomey has said, courts have expressed wariness when it comes to expelling MPs. The situation would be complicated further if Ward appeals. Ward has 28 days to lodge any appeal. The appeal process itself would likely be lengthy, and if Ward was expelled, he would challenge that decision in the courts. Of course, there will be practical problems for Ward continuing in parliament if he is jailed pending any appeal. He couldn't attend parliament or effectively represent his constituents.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
YouTube makes last-ditch attempt to lobby government against inclusion in under-16s social media ban
YouTube is making a last-ditch effort to persuade the government not to include it in the under-16s social media ban, objecting to what it says is an 'abrupt policy reversal' and arguing the video service is not a social media platform. Google, YouTube's owner, will host a major event featuring popular YouTubers inside Parliament House this week, as a final decision looms on which tech platforms will be off-limits for children. But the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has voiced concern about content on YouTube, hinting the video platform may be included in the ban and dismissing Google's threat to sue the federal government. 'The [communications] minister will make these assessments and we'll make these assessments … independent of any of these threats that are made by the social media companies,' Albanese told the ABC's Insiders. 'There is no doubt that young people are being impacted adversely in their mental health by some of the engagement with social media and that is why the government has acted,' he said on Sunday. 'I'll be meeting with parents again this week of people who've been through tragedy.' The communications minister, Anika Wells, will imminently announce the final makeup of the social media ban. Although former communications minister Michelle Rowland initially indicated YouTube would be part of the ban legislated in December 2024, the regulations exempted the Google-owned video site. But last month, the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, recommended YouTube be included in the ban after all. YouTube's status in the ban has been contentious. Google criticised calls for it to be included, accusing Inman Grant of ignoring parents and teachers, and maintaining YouTube functioned differently to other apps. Meta, TikTok and Snapchat, meanwhile, all to be included in the ban, have campaigned against YouTube's carve out, calling it 'irrational'. Google wrote to Wells last week, declaring it was considering its legal position if YouTube was included in the ban – including on grounds of whether it restricted the implied constitutional freedom of political communication. A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the company had written to the government, 'urging them to uphold the integrity of the legislative process and protect the age-appropriate experiences and safeguards we provide for young Australians.' 'The Government was firm in its decision that YouTube would be excluded because it is different and because of its value to younger Australians,' the spokesperson said. 'However, signals that the Government is contemplating an abrupt policy reversal have prompted us to seek further clarity on this matter. Our position has always been clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform, not a social media service, that offers benefit and value to younger Australians.' Representatives from many tech companies and organisations will be in Canberra this week for industry events at Parliament Wednesday is the annual 'Google at Parliament House' event, a popular function spruiking Google products. Previous instalments have featured The Wiggles as entertainment. Invitations seen by Guardian Australia advertise local act The Rubens for this week's lineup. Invitations for the Google event, which has been issued in large numbers across parliament, spruik that guests can 'hear from partners, businesses and meet some of Australia's most beloved YouTube Creators, including The Mik Maks and Never Too Small'. Guardian Australia has reported The Mik Maks, who make children's educational videos, had spoken out against YouTube's inclusion in the ban and written to Wells to support the Google company. Asked about the Google legal threat on Insiders, Albanese said the government had not made a final decision, but soon would. He pointed to the eSafety commission's research findings that four in 10 children in a survey had reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube. 'So, her [Inman Grant's] recommendation is very clear,' Albanese said. 'One of the things that concerns some of the social media companies is that we are leading the world and I'm proud that we're prepared to stand these people up effectively from their threats.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
MP's career in tatters after being found guilty of sexually abusing two men
A state MP is set to lose his seat after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men - one of whom was a teenager - during his time in office. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he had met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013. The man told the jury that Ward plied him with drinks before indecently assaulting him three times in one night, despite his attempts to resist. Two years later, the long-time MP sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer after a mid-week event at NSW Parliament House in 2015. The man, who was 24 at the time but is now in his 30s, said Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside, and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying 'no'. After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences. A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault. Ward will be sentenced at a later date. After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody. The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then. He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes. Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile at waiting photographers. His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail. The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment. But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal. A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately. 'Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity,' the spokesperson said in a statement. Liberal Party leader Mark Speakman has called for Ward's resignation. 'The Member for Kiama must resign from Parliament. If Mr Ward does not resign, then upon its resumption the Parliament should swiftly take all appropriate steps to protect its integrity,' Speakman said. Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse. But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence. They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said. 'You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck,' Ms Knowles told the jury. 'Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence.' The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than he was by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued. 'These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise,' Ms Knowles said. Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
