William of the White Hand
Junior News Editor
Train passengers watched sexual assault of teenage train passenger
* Jordanna Schriever, Court Reporter
* From: AdelaideNow
* January 18, 2011 1:14PM
Afghan refugee Sayed Mohammed Sidaqat with his lawyer leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
AN immigrant who sexually assaulted a girl on a train for 20 minutes while passengers watched has been jailed.
Sayed Mohammed Sidaqat, 35, assaulted the girl last July after he sat next to her on the Outer Harbor to Adelaide train, and began asking her questions.
He then groped the girl's breasts and held her hand over his groin.
In sentencing today, Judge Simon Stretton said Sidaqat's behaviour was inexcusable and jailed him for a minimum of a year.
"This was completely outrageous and inappropriate behaviour by you towards an innocent 16-year-old girl who had done no more than taken public transport in the middle of the day in Adelaide," Judge Stretton said.
"You sexually assaulted a complete stranger over a period of at least 20 minutes in front of a train full of passengers.
"Your behaviour was extremely upsetting for the victim in this matter and has ongoing impacts on her and her family."
Judge Stretton said Sidaqat had paid people smugglers $16,000 to travel to Australia after fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan and later Iran.
Sidaqat's brother and father had both been killed by the Taliban, while he had been attacked and left by the side of a road.
Judge Stretton said doctors found Sidaqat to be an "acutely distressed and lonely man who forced his need for sexual and emotional intimacy on the victim".
"It is plain that your behaviour is not explained or excused by psychiatric illness or intoxication and that it is clearly wrong by both Muslim and Western cultural standards."
He ordered Sidaqat serve two-years in jail with a non-parole period of 12 months.
Outside court, the girl's father said he would have liked the maximum penalty of eight years to have been imposed.
"He should go back to where he came from but at least he's locked-up.
"I'm happy that he's in jail but I'm not happy because what's 12 months?"
He said his daughter was coping, but was no longer able to catch public transport alone.
"She's always got to have someone with her."
The father said it was a poor reflection on modern society that no one on the train went to help his daughter.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...-train-passenger/story-e6frea83-1225990333085
* Jordanna Schriever, Court Reporter
* From: AdelaideNow
* January 18, 2011 1:14PM
Afghan refugee Sayed Mohammed Sidaqat with his lawyer leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
AN immigrant who sexually assaulted a girl on a train for 20 minutes while passengers watched has been jailed.
Sayed Mohammed Sidaqat, 35, assaulted the girl last July after he sat next to her on the Outer Harbor to Adelaide train, and began asking her questions.
He then groped the girl's breasts and held her hand over his groin.
In sentencing today, Judge Simon Stretton said Sidaqat's behaviour was inexcusable and jailed him for a minimum of a year.
"This was completely outrageous and inappropriate behaviour by you towards an innocent 16-year-old girl who had done no more than taken public transport in the middle of the day in Adelaide," Judge Stretton said.
"You sexually assaulted a complete stranger over a period of at least 20 minutes in front of a train full of passengers.
"Your behaviour was extremely upsetting for the victim in this matter and has ongoing impacts on her and her family."
Judge Stretton said Sidaqat had paid people smugglers $16,000 to travel to Australia after fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan and later Iran.
Sidaqat's brother and father had both been killed by the Taliban, while he had been attacked and left by the side of a road.
Judge Stretton said doctors found Sidaqat to be an "acutely distressed and lonely man who forced his need for sexual and emotional intimacy on the victim".
"It is plain that your behaviour is not explained or excused by psychiatric illness or intoxication and that it is clearly wrong by both Muslim and Western cultural standards."
He ordered Sidaqat serve two-years in jail with a non-parole period of 12 months.
Outside court, the girl's father said he would have liked the maximum penalty of eight years to have been imposed.
"He should go back to where he came from but at least he's locked-up.
"I'm happy that he's in jail but I'm not happy because what's 12 months?"
He said his daughter was coping, but was no longer able to catch public transport alone.
"She's always got to have someone with her."
The father said it was a poor reflection on modern society that no one on the train went to help his daughter.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...-train-passenger/story-e6frea83-1225990333085