weekender the western Friday, July 10, 2020 • FREE
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THIS MUST STOP NOW Shocking alcohol-related assault figures revealed 340 recorded in Parramatta, 234 in Liverpool and 360 in Campbelltown. Penrith City Council, which is set to publish the figures as part of its latest Health Snapshot, will work with local police and key community stakeholders in an attempt to address the concerning numbers. Full story: See page 3
Frightening new figures have revealed more than one alcoholrelated assault occurred every day in Penrith last year. Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures show the Penrith Local Government Area recorded 562 domestic and non- domestic alcoholrelated assaults in 2019, compared to
ABUSE OF TRUST ALENA HIGGINS
H
e was a trusted uncle who turned into a monster – now he’s behind bars. The man from Kingswood cannot be named for legal reasons, but last
week Judge Sharon Harris was scathing of the offender before jailing him for a minimum period of three years and eight months for an attack on his six-year-old niece. The man was staying at his niece’s western Sydney home on March 9, 2019 when the offending took place. Rather than sleep on the couch as the girl’s
parents had intended, the man walked into his niece’s bedroom and climbed into the bed she shared with her younger sister. He then molested her and forced her to perform sexual acts on him, Penrith Local Court heard. Judge Harris said the man “most gravely abused a position of trust�. While the man was jailed for a maximum of
five years and seven months, he will be eligible for parole in November 2022. This sparked an angry response from Weekender readers online and from 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley, who said: “Not long enough. He’s a paedophile... paedophiles don’t get cured. They continue to offend.� More details: See page 11.
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