Former Student Teacher Given Community Sentence for Sexual Offences – ABC News

A former student teacher in Canberra has been given a community sentence after being convicted of sexual offences involving a teenage boy. Petra Shasha, 29, was found guilty of charges including maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, providing pornographic material, grooming, and an act of indecency by a jury in the ACT Supreme Court.

Shasha’s case revolved around her relationship with a 15-year-old boy whom she met during a teaching placement at St Edmund’s College in Canberra. The court heard that the boy initiated contact with Shasha, and their interactions escalated after they met by chance at a sporting event. Despite the boy misleading Shasha about his age, their relationship developed into exchanging explicit images and engaging in inappropriate behavior.

During sentencing, Justice John Burns acknowledged that while the boy had been deceitful and manipulative in his actions, Shasha had failed to take reasonable steps to verify his age. The judge emphasized that the boy bore no responsibility for the situation and even blamed himself upon learning of Shasha’s arrest. Despite the nature of the offenses, Justice Burns noted that the case did not fit the typical profile of grooming cases.

In sentencing, Shasha was spared jail time and instead given an intensive corrections order lasting almost two years, along with a fine of $1,000. She was also directed to undergo counseling. The judge expressed confidence that Shasha posed little risk of reoffending and highlighted the significant online abuse she had endured following the case’s publicity, which had led to her losing her teaching career.

The case underscores the complex dynamics involved in cases of sexual offenses by individuals in positions of authority over minors. It also raises questions about the responsibilities of adults to ensure the integrity of their relationships with underage individuals. The outcome of the trial serves as a reminder of the legal and ethical obligations that educators and other professionals have in safeguarding the well-being of young people under their care.