Ward, a representative in the New South Wales Parliament, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two young men, highlighting pressing issues surrounding sexual violence and political accountability in Australia. A jury convicted the 44-year-old politician of three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape following a nine-week trial in the NSW District Court. The victims, aged 18 and 24, detailed their assaults at Ward's home after meeting him through political networks between 2013 and 2015.
Despite resigning from his position as a state government minister and leaving the Liberal Party in response to the allegations that surfaced in 2021, Ward notably continued to serve in parliament and was re-elected as the member for Kiama in 2023. The jury's deliberation took three days, considering the evidence presented over several weeks.
Key testimonies revealed that Ward had invited an intoxicated 18-year-old to his residence in 2013, where indecent assaults occurred persistently despite the victim's attempts to resist. The more severe conviction came from the 2015 incident, where he raped a political staffer following an event at the parliament. In his defense, Ward contended that the 2015 incident never transpired and suggested that earlier accusations stemmed from false memories of that encounter.
However, Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles emphasized the uncanny parallels in the testimonies from both victims, emphasizing that it was unlikely to be mere coincidence. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," she argued, illustrating the credibility of their accounts.
Ward is expected to return to court later this year for sentencing. While the NSW government had briefly considered expelling him from parliament, legal advice indicated that such an action could jeopardize the integrity of his ongoing trial.
Despite resigning from his position as a state government minister and leaving the Liberal Party in response to the allegations that surfaced in 2021, Ward notably continued to serve in parliament and was re-elected as the member for Kiama in 2023. The jury's deliberation took three days, considering the evidence presented over several weeks.
Key testimonies revealed that Ward had invited an intoxicated 18-year-old to his residence in 2013, where indecent assaults occurred persistently despite the victim's attempts to resist. The more severe conviction came from the 2015 incident, where he raped a political staffer following an event at the parliament. In his defense, Ward contended that the 2015 incident never transpired and suggested that earlier accusations stemmed from false memories of that encounter.
However, Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles emphasized the uncanny parallels in the testimonies from both victims, emphasizing that it was unlikely to be mere coincidence. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," she argued, illustrating the credibility of their accounts.
Ward is expected to return to court later this year for sentencing. While the NSW government had briefly considered expelling him from parliament, legal advice indicated that such an action could jeopardize the integrity of his ongoing trial.
