Convicted rapist quits Australian parliament after losing bid to stay

A Australian politician and the convicted rapist resigned from the moments of parliament before he lost a legal challenge to stay.

44-year-old Gareth Ward was found guilty of sexual harassment of two young men aged 18 and 24 between 2013-2015 last month and in custody.

At the beginning of this week, Ward launched a legal proposal to stop the new Southern Southern Wales (NSW) parliament’s offering it, but rejected the court’s claims that the movement was “insulting” to democracy.

His plans to expel him on Friday were blocked when he left Ward’s independent member of Kiama shorter than two hours before the arrival of the game.

Ward’s resignation – years after the first emergence of sexual assault charges – means that he will no longer receive a salary.

It also triggers an election selection for voters since 2011.

In 2021, Ward left as a minister of government and left the Liberal Party, but refused to leave Parliament and re -elected in 2023.

During his legal struggle, Ward’s lawyers argued that his attempts to throw him from the Parliament before the appeal process was completed were “an insult to the foundations of representative democracy”.

Ward said he plans to appeal the criminal decision in a way that is sentenced next month.