A sensational case of sexual exploitation of 61 women came to light in Adelaide, Australia. Indian massage therapist jailed for 13 years and 10 months. Nine months of horrific crime, mental trauma, a tough court decision and the possibility of deportation made the case more mysterious.
Australia Sex Abuse Case: A sensational and shocking news has come out from Adelaide city of Australia, which has put the entire Indian community to shame. An Adelaide court has sentenced 39-year-old Indian-origin massage therapist Sumit Satish Rastogi, who came from Delhi, to 13 years and 10 months in jail for the serious crime of sexually exploiting 61 women and taking objectionable photographs of them in a luxurious massage parlor. In the court room, when the judge opened the detailed account of the exploits of this brute, the soul of every person present there shuddered.
That scary truth of 9 months: A bloody game was going on under the cover of massage parlor
Between October 2021 and July 2022, this game of terror was played at a renowned massage center located in Glenelg, a western suburb of Adelaide. The shocking thing is that Sumit Rastogi did not have any formal degree or qualification in massage therapy, yet he was providing services to women for huge amounts of money. As time passed, the courage of this criminal increased further. South Australia District Court Judge Carmen Mateo, sentencing, said: “Initially he was a general misbehave, but as his confidence grew, by June and July 2022, his behavior became completely ‘out of control’ and ‘exploitative’. He tampered with women’s underwear and secretly filmed them.” Rastogi has pleaded guilty in court to 97 offences, including 55 counts of making obscene films (voyeurism) and 42 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
That ‘horror memory’ of honeymoon: Victims described the hair-raising pain
During the hearing, there was silence in the court room when the victims narrated the story of the mental trauma they faced. A newly married woman tearfully told the court that the despicable attack took place during her honeymoon. The happiest weekend of her life forever turned into a ‘horror memory’ from which she has not been able to recover till date. After this incident, she is not able to trust any male doctor or physiotherapist and her married life is on the verge of destruction. Another victim appealed to the women outside the court and said, “If you find even the slightest thing wrong at any place, do not ignore it, raise your voice immediately.”
Excuse of ‘voyeuristic disorder’ and strong attack from the judge
The defense psychiatrist argued in the court that Rastogi was suffering from ‘voyeuristic disorder’, in which one gets sexual excitement by secretly looking at women without clothes. However, Judge Mateo rejected this excuse, saying that the illness could not mitigate his responsibility for his crimes. While giving harsh punishment to Rastogi, the court has set a strict condition of not getting parole for 10 years and 10 months.
Deportation decided: Will be sent back to India after serving the sentence in 2035
Sumit Rastogi, who came to Adelaide from Delhi in 2011 with the dream of a bright future, is now going to have a very painful end. He is currently lodged in an Australian jail and will not be eligible for parole before 2035. The government lawyers have made it clear to the court that as soon as he completes his jail sentence, he will be immediately deported from Australia and sent back to India.