Liberalism In The News
2019-01-07 17:05:11 UTC
A former teacher at a prestigious high school in Adelaide has
been jailed for at least two years for sexually exploiting one
of her students.
Key points:
Teacher Sonia Ruth Mackay wept as she was sentenced for sexually
exploiting a student
Judge said Mackay's offending was "unforgivable"
She said the teacher breached the trust of the boy, her employer
and the community
Sonia Ruth Mackay, 43, pleaded guilty to persistent sexual
exploitation of a child in September.
The District Court heard she groomed a 17-year-old boy before
having unlawful sex with him numerous times including at her
house, at his family's home and in public areas including in a
lift and in a city car park.
Judge Liesl Chapman said Mackay drank alcohol and smoked
cigarettes and cannabis with the victim and bought him expensive
presents.
"In light of what you were doing and the way you were doing it,
it is evident to me that you could not have been thinking
straight," Judge Chapman said.
"You seemed to have lost touch with reality and were living in
some sort of fantasy land."
Judge Chapman said Mackay's offending had a devastating impact
on the victim and his family.
"The victim's mother said she does not pity you because you are
a grown woman, a teacher, a mother and a wife who she says
manipulated her son's emotions to meet your own selfish needs,"
she said.
"Your behaviour causes a feeling of outrage, quite rightly, in
the community.
"Your behaviour was manipulative and unforgivable."
Student should have been 'safe' at school
Mackay wept as she was sentenced to four years and five months
in prison.
The court heard a psychiatric assessment found Mackay was at a
low risk of sexual reoffending and that she was sorry for the
pain and suffering she had caused her victim and his family.
However, Judge Chapman said suspending the sentence would not
adequately deter others from engaging in such behaviour.
"It was an emotionally charged and sexually intense month, I
take into account that your victim was at the upper end of the
age range for this offending and it was close to end of his
time at the school."
"Nevertheless, he had been your student that year he should
have been safe at school, there to develop and mature in his own
time."
She said Mackay's offending was a gross breach of trust.
"You breached the trust of him as a teacher, you breached the
trust of his parents and siblings you breached the trust of
your employer, you breached the trust of the school community."
Judge Chapman said she understood "jail would be difficult and
crushing" and imposed a non-parole period of two years and one
month.
"In all of the circumstances I think you would benefit from a
long time on parole," she said.
As she was taken into custody, Mackay told her family who were
visibly upset, that she loved them.
Dreams 'shattered' and 'stolen'
During a pre-sentencing hearing, the court heard emotional
victim impact statements from the teenager and his parents.
The boy's mother told the court Mackay had asked for her son's
mobile phone number under the guise that she was helping him
with his school work.
She said Mackay exploited her son and stole his innocence.
"He didn't return home for days at a time. I had no idea where
he was sleeping or who he was with, was he safe, or worse," she
said.
"When he attempted to come home she bought him expensive
underwear and gifts so he had no excuse but to stay with her."
The court heard Mackay had sent the victim sexually explicit
text messages and that his DNA was found on sheets at the home
she shared with her husband and young children.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said he felt
ashamed and embarrassed about what happened and felt like he had
lost two years of his life.
"My dreams were shattered and stolen from me and I can now see
how I was purely being used," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/adelaide-teacher-jailed-
for-sex-with-student/10609748
been jailed for at least two years for sexually exploiting one
of her students.
Key points:
Teacher Sonia Ruth Mackay wept as she was sentenced for sexually
exploiting a student
Judge said Mackay's offending was "unforgivable"
She said the teacher breached the trust of the boy, her employer
and the community
Sonia Ruth Mackay, 43, pleaded guilty to persistent sexual
exploitation of a child in September.
The District Court heard she groomed a 17-year-old boy before
having unlawful sex with him numerous times including at her
house, at his family's home and in public areas including in a
lift and in a city car park.
Judge Liesl Chapman said Mackay drank alcohol and smoked
cigarettes and cannabis with the victim and bought him expensive
presents.
"In light of what you were doing and the way you were doing it,
it is evident to me that you could not have been thinking
straight," Judge Chapman said.
"You seemed to have lost touch with reality and were living in
some sort of fantasy land."
Judge Chapman said Mackay's offending had a devastating impact
on the victim and his family.
"The victim's mother said she does not pity you because you are
a grown woman, a teacher, a mother and a wife who she says
manipulated her son's emotions to meet your own selfish needs,"
she said.
"Your behaviour causes a feeling of outrage, quite rightly, in
the community.
"Your behaviour was manipulative and unforgivable."
Student should have been 'safe' at school
Mackay wept as she was sentenced to four years and five months
in prison.
The court heard a psychiatric assessment found Mackay was at a
low risk of sexual reoffending and that she was sorry for the
pain and suffering she had caused her victim and his family.
However, Judge Chapman said suspending the sentence would not
adequately deter others from engaging in such behaviour.
"It was an emotionally charged and sexually intense month, I
take into account that your victim was at the upper end of the
age range for this offending and it was close to end of his
time at the school."
"Nevertheless, he had been your student that year he should
have been safe at school, there to develop and mature in his own
time."
She said Mackay's offending was a gross breach of trust.
"You breached the trust of him as a teacher, you breached the
trust of his parents and siblings you breached the trust of
your employer, you breached the trust of the school community."
Judge Chapman said she understood "jail would be difficult and
crushing" and imposed a non-parole period of two years and one
month.
"In all of the circumstances I think you would benefit from a
long time on parole," she said.
As she was taken into custody, Mackay told her family who were
visibly upset, that she loved them.
Dreams 'shattered' and 'stolen'
During a pre-sentencing hearing, the court heard emotional
victim impact statements from the teenager and his parents.
The boy's mother told the court Mackay had asked for her son's
mobile phone number under the guise that she was helping him
with his school work.
She said Mackay exploited her son and stole his innocence.
"He didn't return home for days at a time. I had no idea where
he was sleeping or who he was with, was he safe, or worse," she
said.
"When he attempted to come home she bought him expensive
underwear and gifts so he had no excuse but to stay with her."
The court heard Mackay had sent the victim sexually explicit
text messages and that his DNA was found on sheets at the home
she shared with her husband and young children.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said he felt
ashamed and embarrassed about what happened and felt like he had
lost two years of his life.
"My dreams were shattered and stolen from me and I can now see
how I was purely being used," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/adelaide-teacher-jailed-
for-sex-with-student/10609748