Pregnant woman 'raped' by father after meeting him for first time in 20 years
'I felt I had to co-operate and not say anything. I was worried I might get hurt,' woman says
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A pregnant woman reportedly tracked down her estranged father after 20 years apart - before he allegedly raped her on the first occasion they saw each other again.
The Melbourne woman had been separated from her parents for two decades when she found him in Queensland in 2014.
She then invited the man, his partner and their son to visit her home, despite his known history of violence, according to Melbourne newspaper The Age.
The woman, who cannot be named, said she was “excited and happy” to meet her father.
Court of Appeal Justices Simon Whelan and Anthony Cavenagh, speaking at the man’s appeal to reduce his four-year sentence for incest, said the incident took place when the pair were alone in her house in October 2014.
The man, 38, told his daughter to “give dad a hug” before putting his hands around her waist and kissing her on the neck, The Age reports.
The woman allegedly pushed her father away and said: "If you're gonna be like that you may as well take me to your bedroom."
She was told to follow him to his room where he raped her while saying: “I love you forever.”
She said: "I didn't say anything or do anything. I felt I had to co-operate and not say anything. I was worried I might get hurt. I thought that if I tried to stop him, he would get angry.
"I knew he had a very violent past and had been in jail for physical assaults."
She added: "I was very confused with what he said and I still am. I felt gross that it was my dad. I just wanted to get in the shower as I felt so dirty."
When questioned by police following his arrest, the man claimed his daughter had instigated the event, the paper reports.
"OK, I'm gonna tell you. She made me have sex with her ... I tried to say no. I didn't want to lose her," he claimed.
The man admitted having sex with his daughter, but insisted it was not rape.
He was sentenced for four years after pleading guilty to incest, however this was reduced to three years on appeal after a psychological report suggested the man had a learning disability and had suffered a “tragic background”, said the paper.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.