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Gareth Ward, a former Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men he met through work, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in jail. (Photo: Parliament of New South Wales) Gareth Ward, a former Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men he met through work, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in jail. He was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men in Australia in July 2025. According to the BBC, a jury found Gareth Ward guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape in two separate incidents.The two victims, who were aged 18 and 24, claimed that they were assaulted at Ward's home after meeting the 44-year-old through political circles between 2013 and 2015. Ward, 44, who has been in prison since July 2025, represented the coastal town of Kiama in the New South Wales (NSW) parliament from 2011. He resigned as a Liberal Party minister when the claims emerged in 2021, but refused to quit parliament and was re-elected in 2023.Judge Kara Shead SC considered Ward's disability of legal blindness in her sentence and found "no other penalty other than imprisonment is appropriate," according to BBC.Need to ‘send a stern message,’ Justice SheadJustice Shead said that the court needs to "send a stern message to like-minded offenders that sexual offendings such as this will be met with salutary penalties". She also said Ward had "escaped justice for a decade and enjoyed a life free from a programme or punishment for his crimes during that time".Live EventsDubbing his actions as "callous and predatory," the judge rejected arguments by Ward that his public fall from grace amounted to extra-curial punishment because it was "inevitable" that his crimes would attract media attention, as reported by BBC.ALSO READ: Australian Stock Market rises, sees modest gains across indices, Mayne Pharma drops 30%; check ASX 200 top gainers and losersWard resigned as a state government minister and from the Liberal Party when the accusations emerged in 2021. He had, however, refused to leave parliament and was re-elected as the member for Kiama in 2023. After his conviction in July, 2025 Ward launchd a failed legal bid to remain in parliament and resigned moments before the members could expel him.Ward had appeared via video-link at Parramatta District Court. He will serve at least three years and nine months in prison before he can apply for parole. His legal team has previously stated that he intends to appeal the guilty verdict.What do we know about the two incidents During the nine-week trial in the NSW District Court, Ward's nine-week trial heard that he invited a drunk 18-year-old man to his home in 2013 and indecently assaulted him three times, despite his attempts to resist. In 2015, he raped a 24-year-old political staffer at his home following an an event at parliament.Who is Gareth WardBorn in Port Kembla, NSW, Australia in 1981, Gareth Ward, Bachelors of Arts and Bachelors of Commerce (University of Wollongong), Bachelors of Laws (University of New England), Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Australian National University), Master of Laws (University of Sydney).Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Solicitor of the High Court of Australia. Member of the Law Society of NSW. Interests include - golf, reading and work, work, work.Born in 1981, Gareth Ward holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Wollongong, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New England, a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the Australian National University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.He is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales** and the **High Court of Australia, and is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales. His interests include golf, reading, and, as he humorously notes, “work, work, work.”Honours ReceivedIn 2021, Ward was appointed as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International for his services to the community and specifically the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards.Parliamentary ServiceDuring his Parliamentary Service, Ward held several positions including Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and the Illawarra and South Coast, Parliamentary Secretary, Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast, Parliamentary Secretary, Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast, Member, Standing Orders and Procedure Committee, Deputy Government Whip, Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters,Member, Legislation Review Committee, Member, Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, Elected Chair of the Committee, Temporary Speaker, Member for Kiama, Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly.What did victims say about the incident In a victim impact statement, the then 18-year-old elaborated on how he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope after the assault and said he suffered frequent flashbacks. According to BBC, the then 24-year-old also described using alcohol as a form of self-medication and said the abuse had destroyed his dream of entering politics.What did Ward sayWard had argued the 2015 rape never happened, and that the other complainant was misremembering their encounter from 2013. On the other hand, prosecution cited striking similarities in the accounts of the two men, who did not know each other, showed they were telling the truth. A jury deliberated for three days before returning the guilty verdicts.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onGareth WardAustralian politicianGareth Ward court verdictNew South Wales parliamentGareth Ward sexual abuse charges (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onGareth WardAustralian politicianGareth Ward court verdictNew South Wales parliamentGareth Ward sexual abuse charges(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Explore More Stories123
