Australian Arabic Council founder jailed for sex attack on boy
Australian Arabic Council founder Joseph Wakim has been jailed for less than two years for a brazen sex attack on a teenage boy on Christmas Day.
The former Victorian multicultural affairs commissioner was told he had already suffered from the public humiliation after being ordered to hand back his Order of Australia medal and resign from his advisory position with the NSW police.
The 53-year-old pleaded guilty to the rape of a 13-year-old boy on Christmas Day in 2015 after showering him with gifts and holidays.
The court heard the victim's family can no longer enjoy Christmas because of the impact the attack had on the boy.
“Christmas will never be the same for us and certainly not for (the victim).... (my son) said he hates Christmas now. I wish we could skip Christmas,” the boy's mother said in a statement.
It was earlier established Wakim befriended the victim's family, telling the parents he loved their children, and would stay at the family home when he was in Melbourne.
After the assault took place in the boy's bedroom while his parents were in the home, Wakim sent an email to the 13-year-old victim, telling him he was a "caterpillar emerging from the cocoon”.
Grooming charges against Wakim, who is a widower, were dropped.
“This is very serious sexually offending involving the sexual penetration of a young adolescent in his own home at Christmas,” County Court Judge Amanda Chambers said.
“You were fully aware of his emotional vulnerability.”
The boy told the court he no could no longer trust adults and that he was “physically ruined”.
“I feel like my brain has been all mucked up,” he said in the statement.
“Why did you do it. Why? Why? Why?”
Judge Chambers accepted Wakim's remorse and ordered he be placed on a two-year community corrections order when released from prison.
