Cultural defense rejected again in Australia

This time by the New South Wales Supreme Court:

A New South Wales Supreme Court judge has rejected a claim by a Sydney gang-rapist that his strict Pakistani upbringing meant he did not know his actions were wrong.

Justice Peter Hidden has today sentenced two Sydney brothers, who can only be known as MSK and MAK, for a range of sexual assaults against two teenage girls at the brothers’ home in Ashfield in 2002.

The brothers are already serving lengthy sentences for the gang-rape of two other teenage girls and MSK will now serve up to 28 years in jail, and MAK will serve up to 19 years.

MSK claimed his family’s strict moral and cultural upbringing in Pakistan explained his offences, which has angered one of his victims, Tegan Wagner.

“This wasn’t about culture, this is about abuse against women and the fact that they had the nerve to bring in culture to begin with just astounds me,” she said.

Justice Hidden also rejected the claim, saying MSK would have been in no doubt that his actions were wrong.

Bravo.

This upholds a lower court decision from last November, which I blogged about here.

Hat tip: Alexandra at All Things Beautiful

Background on this case can be read up on in the above post and also in the following posts:

• Update to ‘Gang rapist’s attacks unavoidable’ post
• Gang rapist’s attacks unavoidable, says lawyer

Related Toldjah So posts on the cultural defense:

• Killing is a “Muslim obligation” – so why prosecute?
• Multiculturalism in Australia part deux