In cases involving multiple counts of sexual offending against children, the preferred sentencing approach is to commence with a global figure appropriate to the overall offending and reduce it by reference to mitigating circumstances, rather than arithmetically aggregating individual sentences for each count. Unexplained delay of approximately eight years between a voluntary confession and the laying of charges, during which the offender has undertaken rehabilitation, warrants significant weight in mitigation. The temporal application of the R v D sentencing standard to pre-existing offending remains an open question (Perry J) though Mullighan J held it should not apply retrospectively.
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