Some people should know better
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 10:29 pm
A series of prominent public figures who offered character references for a convicted rapist have been slammed by Australia's first Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
Pru Goward said those who advocated for Luke Andrew Lazarus had not only diminished their own standing, but could discourage victims from coming forward.
"The very last thing any victim needs is to feel as though they are not only fighting back against the perpetrator, but also against other respected members of the community," said Ms Goward, who was appointed to the new portfolio in the NSW Parliament on Wednesday.
Lazarus, 23, was last month sentenced to a maximum jail term of five years for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and then bragging about taking her virginity.
In the early hours of May 12, 2013, he had lured the 18-year-old into an alley behind his family's Kings Cross venue by telling her they were going to a VIP area. He anally raped her after she tried to leave.
District Court Judge Sarah Huggett described the attack as the "spontaneous and opportunistic" actions of a young man who felt a sense of "power and entitlement" by virtue of his family's connection to the Soho club.
But Waverley mayor Sally Betts, the Consulate-General of Greece, Tsambico K Athanasas, and South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club chairman Nick Pappas declared their shock at his conviction and vouched for his good character in references prior to sentencing.
The parish priest at the Greek Orthodox Christian Church of St George, Rose Bay, Father Gerasimos Koutsouras, said: "The possibility of imprisonment is completely undeserved for this promising young man."
Ms Goward, who is also Minister for Women, said victims often withdraw charges "and glowing references about their attackers will not help justice to be done".
"This terrible case should serve as a salutary reminder to all of us, but especially those with apparent standing in the community, that they should carefully consider just how willing they are to lend their support to a criminal," Ms Goward said.
"Not only does this diminish their standing, it can shatter the confidence of the victim and often discourages them from seeking justice."
