November 26th 2024.
A man named Karl Bacash, who was 60 years old, recently found himself in a troubling situation. He had been accused of luring a woman who was intoxicated into his car and then proceeding to rape her in a predatory manner. As a result, he was sentenced to seven years in jail. The incident took place on April 9th, 2017, when Bacash picked up the 27-year-old woman from a pub in Richmond after she had spent the evening drinking with friends.
Initially, Bacash had offered to drive the woman home to Melbourne's south-east, but instead, he pulled over near the Princes Highway when she was unconscious. It was then that he removed her underwear and proceeded to rape and sexually assault her in the front seat of his car. The woman woke up during the attack and was horrified to find herself in such a vulnerable situation. Bacash even went as far as to save her phone number by calling his own mobile from her phone before driving her home.
The woman, who was understandably shaken and traumatized, asked Bacash if he was a rideshare or taxi driver, but he denied it. After the incident, she confided in her friends, mother, and doctor, showing them the bruises on her inner thighs and disclosing the pain she was experiencing in her groin. Bacash, on the other hand, sent her text messages and tried to call her multiple times in the weeks following the attack.
It wasn't until January 2019 that the woman finally reported the incident to the police, and Bacash was arrested and interviewed in February 2020. During his interview, Bacash claimed that he regularly drove women home and that if things happened between them, it was consensual. He even went as far as to say that some female passengers became "touchy-feely" with him, leading to consensual sex.
The jury, however, was not convinced and convicted Bacash of the 2017 rape. He also pleaded guilty to separate charges of possessing a drug of dependence and handling stolen goods. Although he was initially charged with two other counts of rape, he was found not guilty of one and the charges against the second were dropped.
During sentencing, County Court Judge Martine Marich noted that the 2017 attack was both spontaneous and predatory. She also mentioned that the victim's state of intoxication would have been apparent to Bacash and that she was vulnerable and isolated due to her condition. The woman now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has trouble forming relationships with men.
Judge Marich acknowledged that the offense was relatively brief, but it had left a lasting impact on the victim. She also noted that Bacash continues to deny the charges and refuses to participate in sex offense rehabilitation programs while in custody. Despite this, she decided to focus less on specific deterrence and the protection of the community when considering his sentence.
In addition, Judge Marich took into account the fact that Bacash was the primary caregiver for his elderly mother, and being in jail would be particularly challenging for him due to their separation. He also had no prior convictions and had the support of his family and friends. Ultimately, Bacash was sentenced to seven years in jail, but he will be eligible for parole after four years and ten months. Judge Marich also decided not to place him on the sex offender register.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can seek support from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT.
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