The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) appeal of the seven-year minimum sentence handed down to convicted paedophile Maurice Van Ryn will begin on Wednesday, December 2 in Sydney’s Supreme Court.
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In September District Court judge Clive Jeffreys sentenced Van Ryn to the non-parole period after he was convicted of 14 charges over assaults on nine boys and girls, aged eight to 15, between 2003 and 2014.
Since the sentence was handed down it has been widely criticised in the community and beyond for equating to less than a year behind bars for each of Van Ryn’s young victims.
Following the immediate community outcry, the DPP has now challenged the sentence in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal on grounds of its leniency.
The father of one of his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the sentence must be challenged to prevent other paedophiles from receiving light non-parole periods.
“In the lead up to the appeal hearing it is appropriate the community know our feelings and thoughts about what is occurring,” he said.
“Seven years jail was never a satisfactory outcome for a man who committed such horrendous crimes against a large number of children.
“We do have hopes that Van Ryn’s non-parole period will be increased.” he said.
The father is relieved Judge Jeffrey’s reasons for reducing the sentence, which included media attention, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hormone treatment and the appearance he had been a “model citizen” while offending are set to begin to be challenged in front of three appeal judges.
“The acts committed by Van Ryn in a number of situations and with a number of victims, were violent and vicious rapes,” he said.
“Distressingly, there are members of our community who too seem to hold this belief of him as a model citizen.
“These people, who are in some cases nurses and school teachers, provided letters of support to the court in order to assist having Van Ryn’s sentence reduced.
“The Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse has focused community attention upon this issue and expectations are for these perpetrators to be properly punished by serving a considerable period of time in jail.
“That is what we hope for as an outcome from Van Ryn’s appeal,” he said.
Van Ryn’s brutal assaults included the rape of a 15-year-old male victim and the repeated performance of oral sex on another and the molestation and indecent assault of other children.
