A former Queensland Police officer, Ross Kouimanis, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for the vile abuse of a young boy more than twenty years ago, has failed in his attempt to overturn his convictions before the Queensland Court of Appeal.
Kouimanis, once a respected member of the Gold Coast traffic division and a senior constable until his retirement in 2009, was found guilty in November 2024 of a series of child abuse offences. These included rape, aggravated indecent treatment, indecent assault, and assault occasioning bodily harm against a young boy he knew in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
During the trial, the court heard that Kouimanis maintained an unlawful sexual relationship with the child over a period of two and a half years, during which the victim endured repeated acts of sexual abuse and physical violence. The offences included oral and anal penetration, exposure to pornography, and indecent acts. The victim did not report the crimes until 2023, more than two decades later.
Kouimanis’ defence team argued on appeal that the trial judge, Judge Dzenita Balić, had erred in her instructions to the jury regarding the legal interpretation of delays in reporting sexual offences. They claimed the judge should have directed jurors that such a long delay was relevant to the credibility of the complainant.
However, the Court of Appeal rejected these claims, ruling that the delay in the complaint was “self-evident” and did not require special judicial instruction. The judges stated that the victim’s explanation — that he had tried to suppress memories of the abuse — was reasonable and credible.
“The alleged motive to lie did not provide a logical basis to question the complainant’s credibility,” the court noted. “If the jury accepted that the victim attempted to repress the traumatic experiences, that alone justified the delay in disclosure.”
The defence also argued that the complainant’s statements were inconsistent and possibly motivated by revenge. But the appeal judges dismissed this as speculative, finding no evidence of contradictions or malicious intent.
In May 2025, Kouimanis was sentenced to eight years in prison, with parole eligibility set after four years. The court emphasised the profound psychological damage inflicted on the victim, who lived with guilt and fear for decades before coming forward.
The appeal decision closes another chapter in a long-running case that has drawn public condemnation and renewed scrutiny of how trusted authority figures in policing have, in some cases, abused their power.
Kouimanis, now in his late 50s, remains incarcerated and will continue serving his sentence.
