89-year-old sentenced over historical sexual offending

File photo / Michael Cunningham

A victim of an 89-year-old man who admitted sexually assaulting her and her sister says she is disappointed with his six-month home detention sentence.

Ronald Growcott pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court today to four counts of indecent assault on two girls under 12, dating back to the 1980s and early 90s.

The victim, whose name is suppressed, said she was hoping for a longer sentence and possible jail time.

"It's definitely disappointing. We have to live with it for the rest of our lives. Six months is really not much at all.

"I was hoping that this is a little bit of closure for us and he's finally faced what he did."

Growcott, who lives in Australia, was met by police when he came off a cruise in Wellington last year.

Judge Brian Callaghan said he had never sentenced someone of Growcott's age and allowed discounts for his ailing health, cooperation with police and early guilty pleas.

But the victim said his health was not as bad as it was made out to be.

She was about 12 when the sexual offending began and her sister was assaulted from when she was 7 until she was 10 years old.

The 38-year-old said the situation had torn apart her family and she was speaking out to encourage other victims to come forward.

"There will definitely be other victims. If he's done it to anyone else I guess there's still time for more charges, for more action," she said.

- Additional reporting: Jess McCarthy of Newstalk ZB