In a significant verdict, Gareth Ward, a sitting member of the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament, has been found guilty of multiple sexual offenses against two young men. The jury's decision included three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape, stemming from incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2015.
Both victims were aged 18 and 24 at the time they reported the assaults, which took place at Ward’s home after their encounters in political settings. Despite resigning from his ministerial role and the Liberal Party in 2021 following the allegations, Ward remained in parliament, winning re-election for his Kiama seat in 2023.
The jury's deliberation lasted three days after a comprehensive nine-week trial in the NSW District Court. Evidence presented indicated that in 2013, Ward lured a drunk 18-year-old to his home where he indecently assaulted him multiple times, ignoring the victim's resistance. In a subsequent 2015 incident, he was found guilty of raping a political staffer after a parliamentary event.
Ward consistently denied the allegations, claiming the 2015 rape did not occur and suggested the other complainant misremembered their encounter from 2013. However, Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles pointed to the remarkable similarities in the testimonies of the two victims, highlighting that they had no prior connection. “This is not a coincidence,” Knowles asserted, emphasizing the credible nature of their accounts.
Ward is scheduled to return to court later this year for sentencing. Although there were discussions among NSW government officials about the possibility of expelling Ward from Parliament, legal counsel advised that doing so could jeopardize the integrity of his trial.
