Absence of remorse, insight, or regard for consequences of offending cannot be treated as aggravating factors in sentencing; they are properly characterised only as the absence of mitigating factors. In assessing the reasonableness of a jury's verdict where a child complainant made delayed or incremental disclosure, the critical question is whether the complainant subjectively had a genuine reason for the omission, not whether the explanation was objectively reasonable from an adult perspective.
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