A paedophile who avoided a 50-year prison term for reasons including his sleeping problems and high cholesterol cannot be identified – but his victims can, a court has ruled.
The 55-year-old man, from Dubbo, New South Wales, was spared jail last month after pleading guilty to historic sex crimes involving two young girls, with District Court Judge John North granting a suppression order on his name.
In criminal proceedings, the identities of offenders are usually only withheld to ensure those of the victims are not revealed.
But Judge North ruled this week the victims could be publicly named, while the paedophile’s identity must remain secret, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The 55-year-old Dubbo man was spared jail last month after pleaded guilty to historic sex crimes involving two young girls, with District Court Judge John North (pictured) granting a suppression order on his name
Both victims have spoken of their outrage at the decision to suppress the man’s name and say the justice system has let them down.
‘I truly feel from my heart that they have failed me and that the system is protecting a paedophile,’ one told the paper.
‘The initial case took four years in court and they decided not jail him. To have it so he can’t even be named is heartbreaking. This man has ruined my life and he completely gets away with it.’
Another victim, who started being abused when she was just eight years old, slammed the decision.
‘I am shocked that we are being named but he isn’t… There are other victims and they need to know about this case,’ she said.
NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman told the paper he was investigating the reasons behind the decision to suppress the offender’s name.
Both victims have spoken of their outrage at the decision to suppress the man’s name and say the justice system has let them down (stock image)
The man was 19 years old when he began abusing the girls, aged eight and 10, between 1980 and 1987, the paper previously reported.
Despite facing 54 years’ jail for his crimes, Judge North handed him a two-year suspended sentence with no supervision order, listing a series of bizarre reasons for why the man should receive credit.
Judge North spoke of the offender’s ‘good character’ and naivety because of his lack of sex education, as well as his sleep deprivation over the case.
He noted the man’s diabetes, high cholesterol and chronic kidney disease would be difficult to treat in prison, where Judge North said he would have to be contained in isolation.