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Media Release - 17 January 2008 - R v Dean Woodbridge

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Jeremy Rapke QC, has decided not to appeal the sentences imposed on Dean Woodbridge by Judge Michael Kelly in the County Court on 17 December 2007.

Mr Woodbridge pleaded guilty to 4 counts of sexual penetration and 1 count of committing an indecent act. All offences were committed on a child under 16 years of age. Mr Woodbridge was 9 years older than his victim. He was sentenced to a total effective sentence of 2 years and 9 months imprisonment which was wholly suspended for 3 years.

In announcing his decision, Mr Rapke said that the sentence imposed was within the range of sentences for the type of offending with which the judge was concerned given a number of special features of the case.

He said, “I have determined that there are insufficient prospects of the sentence being increased to warrant an appeal. This is not to say that I endorse the approach to the case by Judge Kelly or the comments that he made during the hearing.

In fact, I deprecate the lack of sensitivity and compassion displayed by the judge to the victim. The victim courageously came forward to reveal criminal conduct which all right thinking people would abhor. His Victim Impact Statement was a moving testament to his suffering as a result of the sexual offences committed by Woodbridge and it should not have been dismissed or ridiculed by His Honour.

Cases such as these, and regrettably this is not an isolated example of insensitivity by a judicial officer to the plight of a victim of sexual assault, demonstrate the need for the continuing education of our judicial officers on the need for our criminal justice system to treat the victims of crime with dignity, sensitivity and compassion.”

Any queries should be directed to the Office of Public Prosecutions Media Liaison Unit.