New South Wales politician Gareth Ward has been found guilty of multiple sexual assault charges, including the rape of a young political staffer. The 44-year-old state MP, who still holds his seat in the NSW parliament, was convicted by a jury on three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.
The verdict was delivered after three days of jury deliberations following a nine-week trial at the NSW District Court. The case centered around the accounts of two men who met Ward through political circles and were assaulted at his home between 2013 and 2015.
The victims, aged 18 and 24 at the time of the incidents, described similar experiences. One said that in 2013, after being invited to Ward’s home while intoxicated, he was indecently assaulted three times despite resisting. The other victim, a parliamentary staffer, testified that Ward raped him in 2015 following a political event.
Ward denied the charges, arguing that the 2015 rape never occurred and that the 2013 accuser had misremembered their encounter. His legal team tried to challenge the credibility of the victims’ accounts.
However, Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles emphasized the similarities in both victims’ stories, noting that the consistent details pointed to a clear pattern of behavior. “Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence,” she told the jury.
The two victims did not know each other, and the prosecution argued that their independent but nearly identical accounts strongly supported the charges. Their testimony formed the foundation of the case against Ward.
Ward had already stepped down from his role as a government minister and resigned from the Liberal Party when the allegations surfaced in 2021. Despite this, he continued to serve as an independent MP and was re-elected to represent the seat of Kiama in 2023.
His continued presence in parliament has stirred controversy. While the NSW government considered voting to expel him, legal advice cautioned that such a move might jeopardize his right to a fair trial. With the conviction now secured, there are renewed calls for his removal from office.
Ward has served as a member of the NSW Parliament since 2011. He has consistently maintained his innocence and refused to step aside from his duties throughout the legal process.
His sentencing is scheduled for later this year. Until then, Ward remains a sitting member of parliament, though his political future appears increasingly uncertain.
The guilty verdict has shocked many in NSW political circles and is expected to trigger further scrutiny of the state’s political accountability and handling of misconduct allegations.
