[Relish*]

From the West Australian

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/break...ex-assault-cop/

Do you think a $7500 fine is ample punishment for a crime like this? Do you think the outcome would've been different were he not a police officer? Or if the incident had taken place at somewhere other than a nightclub?

I commend the victim for pressing charges in this case, as I know many who've experienced similar things or worse and not pursued any charges because it seemed pointless.

This post has been edited by Therese: 14/12/2012, 10:42 AM

Reason for edit: to link the story

[hayleymumof3]

Do you think a $7500 fine is ample punishment for a crime like this?

No. He is a POLICE OFFICER he damn well knew what he was doing was WRONG and did it anyway. He KNEW the consequences of his action but thought he could get away with it.

Do you think the outcome would've been different were he not a police officer?
Yes, I think they are taking into consideration that he MAY be fired and feel sorry for him. Why he hasn't been fired already is beyond me.

Or if the incident had taken place at somewhere other than a nightclub?

I actually think this is a mitigating factor they were in a nightclub she was in a dress she was asking for it right?(These are not my feelings at all but I am betting this is what people were thinking).

ETA cause I am even more cranky now after reading this bit

Judge Bruce Goetze ordered Sleigh to pay the $7500 fine to his victim, who is the daughter of a serving police officer, to help compensate her for her trauma.

Are the judges so stupid that they think money fixes fecking everything. No amount of money helps fix the feeling of being violated.



This post has been edited by hayleymumof3: 14/12/2012, 10:52 AM

[Pooks*potters]

I think the sentencing is reasonable. I would be loathe to jail a cop for something like that, especially considering he has already suffered financially and career-wise and it's a first offense.

[Sunnycat]

I think the sentencing (the fine) is in line with what others get for similar offences. Working in the legal system, from the sentencing ive seen, he seems to have been fined a lot more than other offenders.

I don't think fining is an acceptable sentence for this sort of crime though, to me, it kind of suggests that the woman is a prostitute who can be bought for the right price.

[archy's mehi...]

He's a decorated officer, but I'd question how good a cop he really is. A decoration for whatever service doesn't necessarily mean that you understand what justice and law are really about.

His being drunk was presented as a mitigating circumstance but I don't buy that. I've heard of people being Jekyl and Hyde when they drink, but have never actually met anyone this applied to. Nasty drunks I've known were the same person with the inhibitions on socially unacceptable behaviour removed.

He's 45 and his victim was the 22 year old daughter of a fellow police officer. He's not the policeman you would want to have to talk to about as a woman who had been raped, harassed, or in a case of domestic violence.

ETA probably best he isn't imprisoned, given he is a cop, but defintiely best if he no longer has a job as one.

This post has been edited by archy's mehitabel: 14/12/2012, 11:24 AM

[flushthetoilet]

He's probably going to lose his job, and he (it appears) hasn't made any excuses for his behaviour and takes responsibility & is remorseful. That carries some weight, from my p o v.

Re the outcome being different if he hadn't been a police officer, I don't know. I'm sure this sort of crime (acknowledging guilt, remorseful, normally a good citizen etc) wouldn't attract jail time.

He did a stupid, revolting thing, now he's paying for it.

[CallMeProtart]

I don't think fining is an acceptable sentence for this sort of crime though, to me, it kind of suggests that the woman is a prostitute who can be bought for the right price.

I agree with this. I'm not sure what an appropriate sentence would be, but I'd rather see some community service (even better if it's somewhere he can learn about this stuff) or weekend detention etc, than a fine. The idea that money somehow compensates for what she suffered is just a bit gross.
I mean I don't know, from her perspective I suppose maybe she'd rather get money than nothing (if he'd got jail or community service). But I'm not sure she got given that choice. Just the money thing is very distasteful though.

There's a side of me that thinks she only got a conviction because she was a cop's daughter. I bet most of the people who get molested by cops, get intimidated out of pressing charges as the cops close rank around them

[lynnemine]

I think the sentencing might reflect this:
She said Sleigh grossly misperceived the situation with the victim. "This was a spontaneous, opportunistic, intoxicated act which ceased the minute it was rejected," she said.

I have been dancing with guys before and had similar happen - which also was them mis-interpreting the situation - and I moved away and avoided them. I wouldn't have actually ever considered to press charges for being drunkenly groped in a nightclub.
Which is actually quite a sad statement on how common these things are today.

[flushthetoilet]

I'm glad she's getting the money - she's had to pay for counselling, after all.

[MakeLoveNotBacon]

He was originally charged with sexual penetration without consent before pleading guilty to the lesser charge.

I don't think the sentence is enough, but accept it's a pretty normal one.

I don't think it's fair the judge considered him being a police officer as a reason not to jail him. People who kill/harm police officers are given harsher sentences; shouldn't it work in the reverse too?

Just another pathetic sentence for a sex crime.