Having pleaded responsible to sustaining an illegal sexual relationship with a toddler, a former instructor now needs the conviction overturned on the idea she can’t be held legally accountable on account of her gender.
Gaye Grant is interesting within the Courtroom of Felony Attraction for her conviction to be quashed, quite than face a retrial, arguing that as a lady she couldn’t be legally chargeable for the crime beneath legal guidelines on the time.
Grant arrived at court docket in Sydney on Wednesday sporting a black hat, sun shades, black veil and face masks.
Her lawyer Stephen Boland argued there was authorized precedent for a conviction enchantment to be entertained regardless of a responsible plea, if the appellant couldn’t be legally convicted of the offence.
Mr Boland stated whereas it was open for the court docket to return Grant’s case to the District Courtroom for the aim of a brand new trial, the popular course was for the conviction to be merely dismissed.
Grant, who’s now aged in her late 70s, was sentenced to jail in December 2022 for the two-year lengthy abuse of certainly one of her male college students within the Seventies.
The boy first met Grant when he was 10 and confided in her about being bullied.
The alleged abuse started with the scholar sitting on Grant’s lap and fondling her, earlier than escalating to kissing and ultimately into sexual activity.
After the boy tried to distance himself from the instructor within the late Seventies, she wrote to him saying she beloved him.
After spending virtually 15 months behind bars, Grant was launched on bail and given depart to enchantment her conviction following the discharge of one other instructor, Helga Lam, who efficiently had her historic intercourse abuse costs quashed in February.
Ms Lam had been charged with 15 counts of indecent assault on 4 college boys for offences courting again to 1978.
The NSW Courtroom of Felony Attraction discovered Lam had been convicted based mostly on a regulation in power on the time which didn’t apply to “conduct dedicated by a feminine upon a male”.
That regulation was repealed and changed in 1984.
A call in Grant’s enchantment has been reserved till a later date.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Nationwide Sexual Abuse and Redress Help Service 1800 211 028