Glebe real estate agent Thomas Hofer, 49, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years’ jail after being found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault after he raped a 17-year-old girl and a woman, 23, within a 24-hour period in the inner Sydney suburb.
The NSW District Court heard how Hofer, who had a long history in real estate in Australia and the Middle East, had met the victims through an ad he’d posted on the website flatmates.com.au.
The younger of his victims has now spoken out. ‘I felt stronger than I ever had in my life, to be honest,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Nobody asks to be raped. If it’s happened, it’s wrong and you need to stand up for yourself. Men that are like that don’t stop, you won’t be the last one. It’s really important that we stand up and fight these predators.”
He court head that Hofer had plied the young woman with alcohol before taking her back to his Glebe house. The woman had told him she did not want to have sex but, the SMH reports, he pinned her down on the bed, flipped her on her stomach and raped her.
Afterwards, Hofer walked her to the bus stop before sending her a text saying: “Goodnight dear, call me if you have any problems getting home dear.”
The victim, now 19, says contemplated suicide and turned to drugs and alcohol.
But with support from child protection group Bravehearts and NSW Police, she says she has turned her life around.
She also believes that if she had not gone to the police, Hofer would have attacked again.
The other victim was a 23-year-old backpacker from the US.
Hofer has maintained his innocence telling police the sex was consensual.
With time already served, Hofer will be eligible for parole in April 2021.
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