NSW MP Gareth Ward Found Guilty of Sexual Assaults

Kiama MP Gareth Ward has been found guilty by a jury of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent involving two young men. The offenses occurred in 2013 and 2015, with Ward sexually assaulting an 18-year-old at his Meroo Meadow home and digitally raping a 24-year-old political staffer at his Potts Point residence. The jury concluded Ward exploited his political influence to lure the victims, often involving alcohol, to his home before assaulting them. Despite Ward's defense challenging the credibility of the victims, the jury found the remarkably similar accounts credible and returned a guilty verdict after nine weeks of trial and multiple days of deliberation. Ward resigned from his ministerial role and the Liberal Party upon the emergence of allegations in 2021 but retained his parliamentary seat and was re-elected in 2023. He will return to court later this year for sentencing, while political leaders condemned his actions as a gross abuse of power.