Indian origin masseur Sumit Satish Rastogi has been sentenced to 13 years and 10 months in prison by an Australian court for sexually abusing dozens of women at an Adelaide massage parlour. The 39 year old admitted to the South Australia District Court for making 97 offending during his time at a massage parlour in the Glenelg suburb of the Adelaide fringe. The offences comprised 55 counts of indecent filming and 42 counts of aggravated indecent assault on 61 women. Rastogi, who moved to Adelaide from Delhi in 2011, was arrested in July 2022.
What Did The Court Say?
According to media reports, Judge Carmen Matteo said Rastogi’s actions grew more and more ‘exploitative‘ over time during the sentencing hearing. The court stated that the women were many victims who had developed trust in him during their massage. The abuse became much more serious in the last few months leading up to Rastogi’s arrest, the judge wrote, many victims were unsuspecting women who trusted him during massage sessions. The judge stated that the abuse escalated significantly in the final months before his arrest, with Rastogi allegedly interfering with clients’ clothing and secretly recording invasive footage. The court further remarked that he was also providing massage therapy services, without any formal qualification which adds to the concerns in terms of oversight and regulation of the profession, overall.
What Did The Victims Say?
Several victims shared their long term emotional and psychological effects ,from the abuse. One of the women testified that the assault had taken place during her honeymoon, and that it was supposed to be a joyful time but it became a traumatic one instead. The whole incident damaged her confidence in male health care professionals and even in her personal life, she added. Other survivors had complained about the length of time the case was taking up, which they said was making it more difficult for them to move on and heal. In the real world, outside the courtroom, victims encouraged women to ‘listen to their gut and report’ if situations felt ‘uncomfortable or inappropriate’.
Was Sumit Satish Rastogi Mentally Disturbed?
The court also received psychiatric evidence that Rastogi was suffering from voyeuristic disorder, a condition that is associated with sexual arousal from the sight of unsuspecting people. But, Judge Matteo, the diagnosis didn’t excuse what he did or lessen his responsibility for the crimes, he said. Defence lawyers said Rastogi has apologised and showed remorse, but some victims raised doubts about whether that apology was really sincere. The court also directed him to serve a non parole term of 10 years and 10 months, so in practice he won’t be eligible for freedom until 2035. He is also said to be likely facing deportation from Australia, after his prison time.
