System insults sex abuse victims once again

A victims advocacy group has described the decision to allow alleged serial rapist William Paul Cornelius, who is alleged to have raped four victims over a 30 year period, to not stand trial and walk free because he suffers mild dementia, as outrageous and hugely insulting to his victims and it will mean less sexual abuse victims are likely to come forward in future cases.

A spokesman for the Sensible Sentencing Trust, Ross Crosby says it’s bad enough the sentences handed out to these offenders are often inadequate and do not sufficiently protect the public from sexual abuse nor deter sexual abuse but allowing a sexual predator to walk free because he suffers from mild dementia sets an even more dangerous precedent.

One of Cornelius’s victims is a 46 year old woman who said during an interview with the Dominion Post: “I was repeatedly terrorised with threats of torture, forced abortion with wire, starvation, being eaten alive by pigs, death and death to any babies born to me.”

Cornelius had initially faced four charges of rape, one of unlawful sexual connection and one of abduction. The charges increased in 2010 to 14, including a representative charge covering hundreds of rapes, and further charges were later laid as more complainants were spoken to. So far he has made 27 court appearances and up until the last two was deemed fit to stand trial.

“The system needs to treat victims of sexual abuse a lot better and do more to ensure justice for victims is done. This decision to let an alleged serial rapist walk free just because they are found to have been suffering from mild dementia is alarming and destroys any faith victims will have in New Zealand’s Justice System,” Mr Crosby said.

Ross Crosby: +61-451-968816

Assistant Webmaster and Sensible Sentencing Correspondent for Australia