Victorian teenager ordered to stand trial over stepfather's murder

News.com.au ^ | January 13, 2009 | Kim Stephens

[MrEdd]

* Girl abused for years * Kills stepfather after forced into oral sex * May not have acted in self-defence, court told

A VICTORIAN teenager has been ordered to stand trial for the murder of her stepfather who allegedly took nearly 10,000 pornographic pictures of her in four years.

The Shepparton Magistrates' Court was told that on March 13 last year, the stepdaughter shot the 34-year-old in the back of the head to put an end to daily sexual abuse that began when she was 14.

The man's dismembered torso was unearthed in a shallow grave in the backyard of their Mooroopna home on April 9 and further remains were discovered two days later at a campsite nearby at Old Toolamba, in Victoria's north.

The teenager, now 19, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Her defence barrister Peter Chadwick told the court on the night of his death, the woman's stepfather ordered the accused to go to a shed at the back of their home where he demanded she perform oral sex on him.

Mr Chadwick told the court when the teenager declined, citing a sore throat, the stepfather removed a shotgun from his gun cabinet, loaded it and asked her to rethink her answer.

After she performed the act, she moved behind him and seeing the loaded shotgun lying on the ground, picked it up and fired it at the back of his head.

[swain_forkbeard]

By all means. Kill the miscreant. And if anyone objects, just pay the wergeld.

[MEGoody]

As a juror I wouldn’t vote to convict.

Neither would I. But I would want the girl to get some serious counseling for several years. She's been badly traumatized.

[MEGoody]

If they're in an abusive situation, they can walk out the door.

Have you ever been abused? Did the abuse start when you were 14 years old? Did your mother know about the abuse but ignore it?

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

If they're in an abusive situation, they can walk out the door.

That would be funny if it weren't so stupid.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Thanks, MEGoody, your reply was better than mine. I was just too stunned to think of it.

[MrB]

Wergeld: In Anglo-Saxon and Germanic law, a price set upon a person’s life on the basis of rank and paid as compensation by the family of a slayer to the kindred or lord of a slain person to free the culprit of further punishment or obligation and to prevent a blood feud.

Let’s see... bidding starts at two cents.

[Retired COB]

That would be funny if it weren't so stupid.

OK liberal.....just what's so stupid about walking away. How many times do you think this excuse has been made to cover up a plain old homicide.

I believe you're the stupid one.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

I believe you're the stupid one.

I called your remark stupid, not you. And that's the first time I've ever done so, in all the years I've been online.
It was that stupid. Beyond all dispute.

[Retired COB]

Have you ever been abused? Did the abuse start when you were 14 years old? Did your mother know about the abuse but ignore it?

The short answer is yes, but at a lot younger age than 14. Mine wasn't a sexual abuse, but I did get beaten virtually every day on any pretext. And yes, I left home as soon as I could at age 17.

[Ditter]

Good shot honey.

[Tainan]

Its a sad one all the way around. I’m reminded of the cases of an abused wife shooting the husband. Those pop-up every once in a while.

[Texas_shutterbug]

"That would be funny if it weren't so stupid.

Yeah, like the guys who think that women ask for rape because she's in a bar? ARGH

Just a kinder, gentler version of the Taliban.

[MEGoody]

I'm sorry for the abuse you suffered. But do remember, not everyone responds to such trauma the same way. This clearly was self-defense. The dismemberment of the man was obviously a pouring out of the anger the girl was filled with due to her abuse.

That is one reason I would require her to undergo years of counseling (psychiatric treatment). But I would not convict her.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Yep, and this girl was 14 when it started. I have a sister about that age. It’s called childhood, those years when a person isn’t ready in any sense, to go off independently. Most of them can’t even SSS* properly.

*Shoot. Shovel. Shut up. (The appropriate action to take in this case.)

[WayneS]

Well then he should have WRITTEN what he meant!

Actually, I know what he meant - I was making a sarcastic point.

I’m a bit of a stickler for proper sentence structure, especially as reagrds “professional” writers, like newspaper reporters. It’s a character flaw I have been unable to banish from my psyche.

;^)

[WayneS]

Sensitive, aren’t we?

[WayneS]

Oh, and the answer is: I just like to take opportunistic license to slam on other people's home states.

It's FUN!!!!!

..and it irritates overly sesitive type, too; so it's got THAT going for it... Which is NICE!

;^)

[WayneS]

Just because he was shot in the back of the head does not mean it was “execution style”.

It’s entirely possible he was going for some other weapon, or preparing to perprate some other sexual debasement upon her when she shot him.

The dismememberment? Eh, Dingos gotta eat sumthin’!!!

[mkjessup]

As a juror I wouldn’t vote to convict.
Neither would I. But I would want the girl to get some serious counseling for several years. She's been badly traumatized.

I suggest this poor girl be given a visa to the U.S. and a clerical position helping out Bill Clinton in his Harlem office.

And let her bring her shotgun, you know Harlem is a rough neighborhood.

[theDentist]

I'm with you. Bad enough Americans have trouble with the language, but when the British cannot clearly write a sentence, we're all in trouble.

Which reminds me; when Obama misspeaks or slaughters a few phrases in these next 4 years (and we all do), will they call them "O-Bonics"?