Latest news with #ACTsupremecourt
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Child sex abuse survivor speaks of anger over abuser's 16-month sentence
A child sex abuse survivor has reacted angrily to the sentence imposed on his abuser by the ACT Supreme Court. Mike Worsman was aged 12 when he was sexually abused by a 15-year-old in the 1990s in Canberra. The now 42-year-old man pleaded guilty to five charges including several acts of indecency. He has been sentenced to two years in jail, but that will be suspended after 16 months, which means he could be free in November next year. Mr Worsman said he was bitterly disappointed and had been let down by the system. "Today, I learnt that the loss of innocence of a child, at the hands of a violent sexual predator, is worth 16 months," Mr Worsman said after the sentencing. "I don't blame Justice Mossop, he is merely a cog in a machine that wreaks of systematic apathy — because the system's own design makes inaction and contempt for victims the norm. "The pain of the last six years pursuing this case through the system has not been worth it, not for a mere 16 months of peace. "The system has let me and all children and parents across Australia down," he said. The court heard that when Mr Worsman threatened to tell someone, his abuser said: "I will f***ing kill you if you tell." Mr Worsman said he was terrified at the time. In the end, he said he only came forward to make a complaint when he realised the man had sexually abused another child. Justice David Mossop said he recognised the catastrophic consequences the crime had had for Mr Worsman. He also noted that at 15 years, the abuser would have known what he was doing. Mr Worsman faced years-long delays between his complaint and today's sentence, in part due to the offender being in jail for the other offence, but also because of bureaucratic problems. He said he has now turned his focus towards campaigning for a better system to manage cases like his, along with tougher jail sentences. "The saddest thing that dawned on me at a time when other victims are reaching out for advice, is that I could not tell them to speak out, he said.
ABC News
23-07-2025
- ABC News
Canberra man who led ACT police on hours-long chase in stolen car sentenced
A Canberra man who led police on a wild chase around Canberra in a stolen car and drove at officers trying to stop him, has been sentenced to nearly three years jail by the ACT Supreme Court. Jordan Massey, 25, pleaded guilty to taking a Mercedes Benz from Moncrieff in August 2023, and a Dodge RAM ute from Gungahlin. Police in an unmarked car came upon the ute after a search of the area, as Massey was driving it out of a garage. He drove around the police car, mouthing the word "f***", and sped off, crossing green belts and driving on the wrong side of the road, in a bid to avoid police, in heavy traffic. The on-again, off-again chase continued for several hours across Canberra, ending in the south of the ACT, where police deployed tyre deflation devices. Massey then drove at the police officers who hid behind their cars. The ute eventually stopped because the front tyre was flat and Massey fled, although he was caught about 100 metres from the car. In a pre-sentence interview Massey told a forensic psychologist he had been going straight after a day program, but went back to using drugs after a traumatic event. He said he was "getting cars to get drugs and then avoiding the cops" and that he wanted to "pump the music loud and forget about what has happened". After the fact, Massey acknowledged the harm he had done and said he would like to offer the owners "a big apology". During the sentencing Acting Justice Rebecca Christensen acknowledged Massey's difficult past. "What Mr Massey was raised to understand was a world of violence, substance misuse, neglect, abandonment, insecure housing, inadequate formal education opportunities, and the challenges of parental incarceration and mental ill health," Acting Justice Christensen said. "The experience of the courts shows that a person who has not been raised in the environment of a supportive 'village' is limited in their capacity to respect the broader community in which they come to live as an adult. Acting Justice Christensen said rehabilitation should still be a consideration in Massey's sentencing, which he said he is keen to do. "Despite all of his challenges, Mr Massey also presents with an inner strength and resilience that assists him to strive for a better life for himself," Acting Justice Christensen said. She said in weighing the sentence, she took on board concerns Massey ran the risk of becoming institutionalised, after spending only a few years of his adult life outside custody. Acting Justice Christensen sentenced Massey to two years and eight months jail, with a non parole period to end next year.
