Gareth Ward, NSW Politician, Convicted of Rape and Indecent Assault

The scandal has raised significant legal and ethical questions about the political landscape in Australia as Ward awaits sentencing.

Gareth Ward, a prominent member of the New South Wales parliament, has been found guilty of multiple sexual assault charges, including one count of rape. The jury's decision comes after a lengthy trial in which evidence was presented regarding Ward's behavior towards two young men—aged 18 and 24—whom he assaulted in his home between 2013 and 2015 after they met him through political circles.

Though Ward resigned from his role as a state government minister and from the Liberal Party following the allegations that emerged in 2021, he controversially opted to remain in parliament, winning re-election as the member for Kiama in 2023.

After hearing nine weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated for three days, ultimately concluding that Ward’s actions constituted criminal behavior. The trial revealed that in 2013, he had invited a drunk 18-year-old to his home, where he assaulted him multiple times despite the young man’s resistance. Another victim charged that Ward raped him after a political event in 2015.

During the trial, Ward claimed that the alleged rape did not occur and suggested that the earlier complainant had misremembered their encounter. However, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles argued that the striking similarities in the victims' testimonies, despite their lack of prior knowledge of each other, substantiated their claims. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," she stated, according to local reports.

Ward is scheduled to return to court later this year for sentencing. In light of his convictions, the NSW government had previously contemplated moving to expel Ward, who has served as a state MP since 2011, but legal guidance warned that such actions could jeopardize the legal proceedings against him.