A Melbourne woman who assaulted a Dutch backpacker at the behest of her partner has escaped jail, after a judge ruled the crime occurred in an environment of sexual depravity and subjugation.
Jennifer Mary Peaston pleaded guilty to intentionally injuring the Dutch woman, who was held captive in a Preston hotel room for six weeks.
Peaston's partner, Alfio Anthony Granata, 48, orchestrated the abuse and repeatedly raped and bashed the tourist.
Victorian County Court Judge Frank Gucciardo said Peaston was a longstanding victim of Granata's violence and assaulted the woman to appease him.
He said Granata imprisoned both women in the room throughout November and December 2012, where they lived under a regime of "oppressive psychological and physical abuse".
"It was a harrowing environment of sexual depravity and depression clearly overlaid by fear and subjugation," Judge Gucciardo said.
"It can only be described as a sustained criminal course of conduct of an abhorrent and repulsive nature which involved repeated and systematic physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
"It appears clear you engaged in criminal violent conduct to appease, please or demonstrate loyalty to Granata."
Granata and Peaston, 34, met their victim at a party in St Kilda and invited her back to their hotel room for drugs and sex.
But Granata soon grew to dominate the women and after one visit in November 2012, the backpacker was intimidated into staying there.
He used a knife to carve an X into the bodies of both women as a sign of ownership and forbade them from communicating with each other.
The court heard he forced the women to assault each other, once ordering the Dutch tourist to hold Peaston in chains while he beat her with pipes and metal objects.
Granata abused the drug ice, accused the women of conspiring against him and claimed to be possessed by the devil.
Judge Gucciardo said both women were covered in cuts and bruises by the end of their six-week ordeal.
The abuse ended when Peaston called police after the backpacker cut her wrists in a suicide attempt.
Judge Gucciardo said the backpacker had returned to the Netherlands and suffered from profound and lasting injuries.
Peaston has been in custody since her arrest in February 2013, but was released on Friday and sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond without conviction.
Granata will be sentenced at a later date.
Share
