In December 2015, Roxanne Eka Peters, a 35-year-old woman, found herself in an unimaginable situation. Threatened by 51-year-old Grand Jason Cassar, a rapist with a depraved mind, Peters was faced with an unbearable choice – endure more sexual abuse or protect her child. Fueled by anger and desperation, she took matters into her own hands, resulting in a fatal outcome. This article highlights her tragic story and the controversial consequences she faced.
Growing up surrounded by drug abusers and experiencing sexual assault and misconduct throughout her youth, Peters had already endured her fair share of pain. One of her tormentors was Cassar himself, who had taken advantage of her vulnerability. When he threatened to harm her child, Peters decided she would not be a victim again.
In a moment of sheer desperation, Peters grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Cassar through the heart, ending his reign of terror quickly. But her response didn’t stop there – she tied his lifeless body with a rope and dragged it behind her car, wanting to both desecrate it and hide it away from prying eyes.
While it is understandable that Peters was driven to such extreme measures, she was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years in prison, along with an additional eighteen months for interfering with a corpse. The court showed little sympathy for her, disregarding the significant provocation she faced.
Justice David Boddice acknowledged the undeniable provocation Peters experienced, stating, “I accept the stabbing occurred in circumstances when you were enraged by what the deceased had done to you and was threatening to do to you again.” However, the justice also emphasized that her actions following the incident, attempting to conceal the crime, contributed to her harsh sentence.
Despite the heinous crimes Cassar committed against Peters and the extensive physical and emotional trauma she endured, Justice Boddice expressed pity for Cassar’s family, claiming they would never recover from his death. It is a decision that has sparked public debate about the Australian legal system’s handling of cases involving victims of severe abuse.
In hindsight, it is easy to imagine the overwhelming rage and anger Peters must have felt toward her abuser. But one cannot help but wonder if Peters could have avoided such a severe punishment had she immediately contacted the authorities instead of trying to hide her actions.
Australia’s decision to lock up Peters for seeking justice in her own way raises important questions about the treatment of abuse victims in the legal system. Should the circumstances surrounding the crime have been taken into account more compassionately? It’s a complex issue that challenges the notion of justice and forces us to examine the deeper flaws within our society.
