Gareth Ward, a New South Wales politician and member of the state parliament, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two young men. A jury in the NSW District Court determined that Ward was guilty on three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.
The incidents involved victims who were aged 18 and 24 and occurred at Ward's home after they met him within political circles between 2013 and 2015. While he resigned from his position in the state government and the Liberal Party when the allegations surfaced in 2021, Ward chose to remain in parliament, being re-elected for Kiama in 2023.
During the trial, which lasted nine weeks with three days of deliberation, the jury was presented with evidence from both victims. One victim recounted being invited to Ward's home in 2013, where he was assaulted multiple times despite resisting. Another victim spoke about being raped by Ward in 2015 after a parliamentary event.
Ward contested the allegations, suggesting the 2015 incident did not occur and claiming the other victim misremembered events from 2013. However, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles emphasized the consistency in the victims' testimonies. "Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence," she stated.
Ward is expected to return to court later this year for sentencing. Prior to the trial, the NSW government contemplated expelling him from parliament, but legal advice suggested it could interfere with the ongoing case.
