Gareth Ward, a Member of Parliament for Kiama in New South Wales, has been convicted of sexually abusing two young men, including an 18-year-old teenager, after inviting them to his home and providing them with alcohol. Ward, 44, faced charges of sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault, which he denied throughout the trial.
The first incident occurred in February 2013 when Ward invited an intoxicated man, whom he had met previously, to his South Coast residence. The man reported that Ward offered him drinks before proceeding to commit multiple acts of indecent assault against him despite his attempts to resist.
In a separate incident in 2015, Ward allegedly sexually assaulted a 24-year-old political staffer after a parliamentary event. The victim recounted that Ward entered his bed, groped him, and sexually assaulted him even after he repeatedly said “no”.
After two and a half days of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all charges against Ward. The jury’s foreperson stated “guilty” in court, and Ward is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
In his defence, Ward claimed the allegations were either false or did not constitute sexual abuse. However, the prosecution, represented by Monika Knowles, pointed out the striking similarities between the two complainants’ accounts, despite them not knowing each other. She suggested that the incidents were not isolated occurrences but indicative of a pattern of behaviour by Ward towards sexually vulnerable individuals who had been drinking.
Knowles emphasised that the young men were in emotionally vulnerable states when Ward exploited their intoxication, and that his actions were premeditated rather than random. She underscored that Ward had a concerning tendency to target younger, less powerful men in similar situations.
Ward has been in the Kiama electorate since 2011 and won three elections representing the Liberal Party before becoming an independent for the 2023 polls.
Support for those affected by similar issues is available through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).