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A former Bendigo teacher who raped a female student who fell asleep after attending their high school graduation party has been jailed.
Kirsten Louise Thomas was sentenced to three years in the County Court of Victoria at Bendigo on Monday after a jury found her guilty of indecent assault and rape of the girl, then aged 17, in December 2006.
Kirsten Louise Thomas was jailed after a trial at the County Court of Victoria, held at Bendigo.Credit: Darrian Traynor
Thomas, 47, will serve 18 months in prison, with the remainder of the sentence suspended.
Thomas was 28 and a teacher at the time of offending, which occurred when she attended the Bendigo Senior Secondary College School graduating party and went to a local hotel with students. She returned home with two of the students, including the intoxicated victim, to “play tapes” after drinking at the hotel, the court heard.
“It was a very dangerous practice at the time for a recent class teacher of two ex-pupils to have them at her home when they’d been drinking,” Judge Michael McInerney said on Monday.
The victim said she needed to go to bed because of how much she had to drink, and was vulnerable, the court heard, and fell asleep in the teacher’s bed.
“The victim believed at all times that their relationship was platonic, and indeed saw Thomas as an adult friend,” McInerney said in his sentencing remarks.
It was not a “deliberate plan or manoeuvre” for the girl to fall asleep in that bed, but Thomas later went to bed and kissed the student before digitally raping her.
“[Thomas] took the opportunity and gave into either to sexual temptation or excitement,” McInerney said.
The student said she was distressed as a result, and turned away from Thomas, who voluntarily withdrew her hand, the judge said.
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He said the student had held Thomas in “very high esteem” as a result of their previous relationship as teacher and student, and it was the reason she trusted Thomas.
Thomas has continued to deny the crimes happened and gave evidence during her seven-day trial, the court heard.
Thomas lost her job as a teacher when she was charged with in April 2024, and worked as an office administrator after her teaching registration was cancelled.
In considering the sentence, McInerney said he considered Thomas’ prior good character and lack of prior crimes. He said Thomas’ offending was at the “lower end of the spectrum”.
Thomas also ended her involvement with a dance school she operated.
“The pain of being abused by a trusted friend is marked, as is the period of such impact,” the judge said of the abuse.
“I was very taken by the thought given by the victim in her description of how much impact, how much the impact of this offending against her pervades and continues to pervade her life.”
If you need support, you can contact 1800RESPECT, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service, on 1800 737 732.
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