TW: child sexual abuse
A NSW woman has been awarded $461,046 in damages against a former school groundskeeper who sexually abused her as a child.
The woman represented herself in the civil case and cross-examined the man who abused her.
A judge found the abuse occurred in the 1980s, when she was aged between four and seven.
Legal experts say it is rare for someone to represent themselves in a historical child sexual abuse case, with one warning that the odds are stacked against self-represented litigants.
Here’s what you need to know.
Case
The woman, anonymised as VLS3, sued Rex Thomas Osborne over sexual abuse she said he inflicted on her between the ages of about four and seven in the 1980s.
Osborne was a groundskeeper at VLS3’s primary school in NSW’s Central West.
The court heard evidence of sexual touching and assault.
VLS3 told the court the abuse had affected her mental health, earning capacity and future relationships.
She also experienced PTSD, depression and a gambling disorder, as well as a substance use disorder in the past.
Although VLS3 represented herself during the proceedings, she had previously worked with a legal team to prepare evidence for the case.
This meant she was required to cross-examine Osborne herself.
Justice Sirtes said this “caused some difficulties”, noting VLS3 was “required to confront the man she has accused of sexually abusing her when she was a child” – an experience the judge said she found “deeply confronting”.
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Osborne denied the allegations.
Verdict
The case initially involved two defendants: Osborne and the State of NSW.
VLS3 settled her claim against the state for $150,000 in October 2025.
Justice Sirtes ruled in VLS3’s favour, finding the sexual abuse inflicted by Osborne was the main cause of her psychiatric injuries and difficulties in her relationships.
Osborne was ordered to pay VLS3 $461,046 in damages.
The amount covers general damages, interest, past and future loss of earning capacity, and associated superannuation losses.
Expert
University of Sydney senior lecturer Sonya Willis, an expert in civil procedure, told TDA that self-represented litigants “generally don’t do well”.
On VLS3 having to cross-examine the man she accused of abusing her as a child, Willis said: “It’s a very, very hard thing to do.”
Willis said VLS3’s success was likely due, at least in part, to the work of her former lawyers, including their preparation of a 2,058-page court book of evidence.
1800 RESPECT
Call: 1800 737 732
Text: 0458 737 732
Video: 1800RESPECT.org.au
