Laurie O'Shea
Laurie O'Shea has been confronted by his victims at court
Notorious paedophile Laurie O'Shea has been confronted by his victims at court after pleading guilty to more child sex charges.
The South Australian Supreme Court heard O'Shea had spent many years in prison before being released on licence in 1998.
He has now pleaded guilty to more sex crimes relating to seven victims he abused more than 30 years ago at the Sunshine Camp for underprivileged children at Norton Summit in Adelaide.
O'Shea had been due to stand trial and was not allowed to be identified, until now.
Some of his victims read statements to the court saying O'Shea had ruined their lives and forced them into a downward spiral of depression and drug abuse.
One victim read her statement as she cried and pleaded with the judge to impose a harsh sentence.
"As children we couldn't defend ourselves so please defend us now," she said.
Another woman had her statement read aloud on her behalf.
It described the horror and anger she felt at discovering her young son had been raped by O'Shea.
"How dare he feel he has the right to inflict his filth on any child, let alone mine?" she wrote.
Another victim, who was six when he was forced into anal sex with O'Shea, described the trauma of coming forward to authorities.
"I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. The detail I had to give in police interviews was explicit and vulgar to say the least," he wrote.
"You haven't shown any contrition or remorse and only after nearly six years of exhausting all avenues of defence have you finally conceded your guilt."
Mercy sought
Defence lawyer Nick Niarchos asked the court for a suspended sentence, saying O'Shea had already served a significant jail period under harsh conditions.
"He says now and he has expressed acceptance that he is a paedophile, that he has perpetrated great harm on the children, the victims of his conduct," he said.
"He has expressed regret, but the victims of the offences would not want to hear any expression of regret or sorrow and that is quite understandable."
Mr Niarchos said O'Shea has been a constant target of abuse in the community and in prison.
"His time in prison was somewhat harsh and oppressive and sometimes even inhumane, that was the condition imposed on him by others and I'm not talking about correctional services," he said.
Prison chaplain Paul Finnane gave evidence for the defence that O'Shea was genuinely remorseful.
He told the court he would keep providing a support network for O'Shea in the community.
"I have no doubt he is genuinely remorseful and is aware of the damage he has done," he told the hearing.
"He is very much an isolated person because he has been demonised."
Outside court, victims' supporters yelled abuse at O'Shea and one hit him in the head with her handbag.
Justice David Peek will sentence O'Shea later.
Read More
Of course he's been demonised.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why they keep doing it when they are so demonised.
Lock him up. Wish we could lock all these sick creeps up. 1 day later, 30yrs later doesn't matter.