00:00This court is used to hearing some of the worst examples of human behaviour,
00:05but such depravity as you displayed against young children is beyond my experience.
00:12As was said in the aftermath of the trial, this is not typical behaviour.
00:16Such extreme abuse of children seems to be rare.
00:21In contrast to your awful abuse, the trial also heard evidence demonstrating
00:27the best of human qualities. Children showed extraordinary fortitude, strength and stamina,
00:35undergoing months and years of interviews as investigators struggled to discover and
00:42comprehend the full extent of what you had done to them.
00:45Each of you faces at least one charge of extreme gravity.
00:50You are not all in the same position, but each of you has committed at least one charge
00:55involving very serious and repeated sexual offending against a very young child.
01:01In each of the following respects, to the extent they apply in your individual cases,
01:06there is no suitable alternative to a sentence of imprisonment for the gravity of your crimes,
01:13dreadfully depraved sexual abuse revealed in the evidence, drug dealing around children,
01:18serious neglect of them and life endangering and in some cases murderous assaults.
01:24In the case of each of you, it's necessary to protect the public from you and to seek to
01:30deter you and others from abusing children in all of the ways featuring in this case.
01:35Such exceptionally grave conduct must attract severe punishment in order to mark adequately
01:42the gravity of your crimes, expressing the abhorrence of the community for such atrocious
01:48abuse of vulnerable children in the circumstances of this case.
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