How Could You? Hall of Shame-Australia-Foster Parent

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Victoria, Australia, a  42-year-old foster parent “pleaded guilty to three counts of committing an indecent act against a child under 16. The child, who was eight at the time and the sexual offending occurred between April last year and January.”

“A man who went to police to confess to sexually abusing his foster child has been spared jail, partly because the case would never have reached the courts had he not admitted his wrongdoing.”

“Magistrate Joanne Metcalf said the offending was serious but acknowledged the man – who cannot be named, so as not to identify his victim – would not have appeared before her had he not confessed to his partner, before police were contacted. The child had never disclosed the abuse, she said.

“This is an unusual case in that the only reason we are here is that you, for whatever reason, realised you were doing the wrong thing,” Ms Metcalf told Melbourne Magistrates Court.

You are here because you confessed to it and you have taken responsibility for it.”

The court earlier heard the man had resigned from the school he taught at after police were contacted, and that the child had been removed from his home by the foster care agency. The man’s relationship with his partner was now uncertain, the court heard.

Ms Metcalf said the man had been “forthcoming” about his offending to his family and was “keen to do something about it”.

He must perform 200 hours of unpaid community work during a two-year community corrections order, and undergo mental-health treatment. He will be on the register for sexual offenders for the rest of his life.”

Foster parent who confessed sexual offending to police spared jail

[The Age 3/2/16 by Adam Cooper]

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