Disabled womans sex attacker pleads guilty

A Perth teenager who sexually assaulted an intellectually disabled woman at a care
facility has pleaded guilty in Perth Children's Court.
On August 14, the now 18-year-old, who was meant to be under 24-hour supervision,
indecently assaulted the mentally impaired woman at a care facility in the Perth
suburb of Bayswater.
A youth worker had left the boy alone for about five minutes while they visited that
facility.
The woman was assaulted in the lounge room until the carer returned and removed the
boy.
The boy originally was charged with indecently dealing with an incapable person, but
on Friday, in a deal with the state prosecutor, the boy pleaded guilty to a lesser
charge of indecent assault.
State prosecutor Sean Stocks said the plea would be accepted to avoid putting the
woman, who is affected by Rett syndrome, a degenerative neurological disorder,
through any more stress.
"The state does not wish to put the complainant through what may be a relatively
traumatic ordeal," he told the court.
Mr Stocks said the state did not oppose bail under the current arrangement in which
the boy remains in a secure group residence.
The girl's mother said her daughter was still traumatised by the incident, adding
the assault had done long-term damage.
The boy is due to next appear in court on February 3.