Western Australia moves to bar character references in all sentencing cases after rape scandal

After a Western Power senior manager was sentenced to five years for raping a heavily intoxicated colleague in 2024, eight glowing character references from coworkers were presented to the court, prompting the judge to view the offence as out of character. The disclosure led to three colleagues being stood down pending a review ordered by Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson. In response, the Western Australian government announced plans to ban character references for all criminal sentencing, extending reforms previously targeted at child-abuse cases.

Attorney-General Tony Buti said the legislation reflects growing concern that individuals with professional standing receive preferential treatment. The government argued the change meets public expectations and brings the state in line with other Australian jurisdictions that have limited such references in sexual-offence matters.