Priests back bucks party gang rapists

A trio of men who gang raped three teenagers during a bucks weekend in Newcastle have received support from their local priests, who describe the sexual assaults as “out of character”.

Maurice Hawell, 30, Andrew David, 30, and Marius Hawell, 23, were celebrating Maurice’s upcoming wedding at an Airbnb over a weekend in February 2022 when they attacked the women.

The court heard the trio sexually assaulted two 18-year-old women on the Friday night before raping a 19-year-old woman the following night.

In July, the three men were found guilty of engaging in a joint criminal enterprise to sexually assault the women after a weeks-long trial in the NSW District Court earlier this year.

They are due to be sentenced by Judge Gina O’Rourke next month and each man has submitted several character references for her consideration.

Among the references are letters of support from two Sydney priests who have known the trio and their families for a long time as members of their congregations.

In his letters to the judge, Reverend Father James Strohmayer of St Gertrude’s Catholic Parish said he was “very surprised” to hear of Maurice and Marius’ “encounter with the law”.

“This is contrary to the behaviour I have witnessed from (Maurice and Marius),” he wrote.

He noted both men were “dedicated members” of the church community who showed their support at various fundraisers and contributed “generously to the Parish finances”.

Reverend Strohmayer extolled Maurice’s “generosity of time and goods” and praised Marius’ “gentleness, compassion, and kind heartedness”.

Andrew David received a similar show of support from Reverend Father Ramen Youkhanis of St Hurmizd’s Cathedral Parish, who said

David and his family are “committed members” of the congregation who regularly volunteer to assist the church.

“This sort of behaviour is completely out of character for him,” Reverend Youkhanis wrote.

“We are shocked Mr Andrew has been convicted of these offences.”

The letters of support come after a jury determined the three men had engaged in a joint criminal enterprise to sexually assault three teenagers over two nights.

The two 18-year-old victims were pinned to beds and sexually assaulted in a pitch dark bedroom on the Friday night as they tried to leave the apartment.

One of the teens described being raped by a man she couldn’t see while another man knelt on her arms and thrust his penis into her mouth.

At the same time, the other 18-year-old said she was stripped naked by a “swarm” of men before being sexually assaulted.

The very next night, Maurice lured a 19-year-old up to the apartment while using a fake name and the promise of a drink.

Instead, he led her into a bedroom and asked her for a threesome with him and Davis.

When she refused, he raped her while David knelt on her shoulders and forced his penis into her mouth.

Marius entered the room and used his phone’s torchlight to watch as the men took turns sexually assaulting their victim.

The 19-year-old said she put her pants on backwards in her haste to leave the apartment afterwards, and she was “sobbing”.

The impact on the victims is not explored in the 20 character references penned by the family, partners, friends, and co-workers of the three gang rapists.

Instead, Maurice’s sister claimed his “interactions with women have always been defined by courtesy and empathy”.

The 30-year-old was held up as the “epitome of respect, humility and generosity” by his wife and labelled a “role model” by his fellow lawyer Anthony Yousif.

However, Crown prosecutor Craig Evans submitted on Wednesday that there was no evidence that Maurice had ever previously been respectful of women.

David was admired as “considerate”, “empathetic”, and a “man of integrity and compassion”.

His fiancee claimed he had a “deep respect for women” and refused “to take advantage of any situation”.

Yet David’s lawyer Sharyn Hall SC told the court on Tuesday that the gang rapes of the two 18-year-olds were “entirely opportunistic”.

Marius was praised by his references as “gentle, loving, considerate, and kind” and a person who is “(de)void of any traces of misogyny, cruelty, disrespect, and malicious intents”.

“I can confidently and firmly attest that Marius does not condone behaviour that disrespects or threatens the dignity of women,” his girlfriend wrote.

However, Marius’ barrister Scott Corish told the court on Tuesday that his client had been “voyeuristic” in his “observation” of the gang rapes.

The trio’s glowing references stand in stark contrast to the findings by the jury that they sexually assaulted three teenagers over two nights in their Airbnb, leaving them devastated.

During the sentencing hearings this week, the 19-year-old victim said she was “terrified to face the world” after she was gang raped by Maurice and David while Marius watched.

She told the court she was “left feeling vulnerable”, “experienced panic attacks” and was “unable to leave my home alone” in the months that followed.

“I felt I deeply lost myself,” the teen explained.

In her letter to the court, she said she blamed herself and spent countless sleepless nights thinking about what she could have done differently to prevent the “traumatic” gang rape.

One of the two 18-year-old women who was gang raped by the men on the previous night also stressed how the attack had taken a “massive emotional toll” on every aspect of her life.

“This event has made me stop trusting the people around me,” she said in a statement read out on Tuesday.

“I was unable to trust any man … it’s unfair I have to regain my trust in people.”

The men continue to maintain their innocence and the NSW District Court heard their remorse is limited to the impact on their families.

All three have indicated they will appeal their convictions.