A justice on vigilante justice
On 14 February 1870, Thomas Ryan was tried at the Sydney Central Criminal Court for indecent assault on a girl under 12 years of age. Ryan was employed by the girl’s father, and had committed the offence after calling the girl into his room. After Ryan was found guilty, the judge in passing sentence commented that he wondered in such cases why fathers did not take the law into their own hands and simply murder the man. He hoped the reason was that they had faith in the courts of justice to punish the offenders. Ryan was sentenced to three years hard labour on the roads or other public works.
This trial report is from EmpireDownload from Trove
