Online petition over Queensland’s ‘weak and offensive’ sentencing of sex offenders
A viral online petition has called for tougher laws for Queensland sex offenders labeling the sentences imposed on the criminals as "weak and offensive".
In April the son of racing legend Sir Jack Brabham appealed his conviction for the rape and indecent treatment of an eight-year-old girl.
Gary Thomas Brabham was sentenced to 18 months prison, to be suspended after six months, in April this year after a jury found him guilty of the charges.
Brabham has reportedly been released from jail according to News Corp.
The petition posted on change.org has gottten more than 130,000 signatures and will reportedly be delivered to both Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath.
The petition demands an “urgent inquiry into child sex abuse sentencing”.
The petition was written earlier in the year by an outraged friend of the victim’s mother, according to the post.
“These dangerous laws sicken me,” the post states.
“Child sex offender Gary Brabham has just been released, serving just six months for raping an (sic) 6-year-old girl.
“Queensland’s child sex abuse sentences are weak and offensive - they need urgent review.”
Earlier in the year Brabham's barrister Catherine Cuthbert outlined the grounds for the appeal against his conviction in the Court of Appeal in Brisbane.
She argued a letter written by the girl should not have been admitted into evidence because it would have caused the jury to speculate about its contents.
But prosecutor Todd Fuller said the crown contends the letter was admissible as it was only relied upon because of the fact that it was written, rather than for its contents.
Brabham's father, Sir Jack, was a three-time Formula One champion and died on the Gold Coast in 2014 at age 88.
Brabham himself made a foray into Formula One in 1990 and had two starts in the Indy Car World Series in 1993 and 1994 before retiring in 1995.
