Full Transcript for Victory for victims: Chris Sanders reacts to sentence appeal

says that this case, what happened to you in December of 23, is not going to be forgotten. This guy can't just simply wash the slate away. It's now known. 00:03:17 S3: Exactly right mate. Exactly right. And, you know, I mean, for what? This, um, you know, absolute ridiculous crime that he's done against me. And, I mean, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones that's been able to survive and fight for the, um, keep continuing the fight for the change. Um, even though we're slowly getting the change, it's done. You know, a lot of personal stuff to me that's made me suffer and and collapse around the walls, around me. So, um, but this is just something I've been wanting and fighting for, and I totally appreciate the, um, the appeal that the freckles have put in for this. Um, at one stage, when I heard from the DPP yesterday, I turn around and said, well, I'm not feeling too confident. And he said, well, you've just got to wait and see. Um, but apparently it's the first appeal for an Attorney-General that's actually been gone ahead through a court and and succeeded. 00:04:16 S1: You know, Chris, I take exception to the term justice system because I don't think there's a justice system at work. It is actually a legal system. There's all these bargaining chips. You're a victim of crime. You've been through the process. The appeal process just added another layer I think of of hurt to you, but you've got some result in the end. I mean, what's this process been like? The whole thing. You're you're a victim of crime, but you're just really evidence in the charges this person faced. 00:04:44 S3: Exactly right, mate. That's, you know, one of the hard parts that you've got to try and deal with. Um, and it just doesn't stop there. Like I said, mate, the walls have been falling around, falling down around me for quite some time with everything that's happened. Um, yeah. I've got to try and rebuild all these walls. I don't know how and when that's going to take place, but just to know that, um, it's had a major effect through the system now that, uh, that it's people are standing up and it's people like myself that need to stand up, that are able to stand up and do it. I'm not going to sit down and let some little thug get away with it, you know what I mean? It's it's uncalled for. And yeah. 00:05:26 S1: You know, Chris, you sound a lot stronger today than the first time we spoke. I mean, you you work, and I make the observation because I've never met you face to face. But we've spoken quite a few times now over the phone. My view is that you were hollowed out by any measure. I mean, you're an Army veteran, which says something exceptional about you. But. But you were hollowed out. You were in a really bad place there a little while back. You sound a lot stronger now. 00:05:54 S3: Well, I have been, mate. Uh, it's been a long road. Um, you know, we're approaching a two year mark on this, and to have the outcome that we've actually got today, it's outstanding. Um, and

I just hope that other people that have had the same thing happen and if anything happens in the future, um, you know, we all stick together and stand up and fight for this because we can't sit down and let, um, let these juveniles get away with it. 00:06:25 S1: I guess the change, the change the laws, the adult crime, adult time thing, uh, was after what happened to you, uh, the attorney general's gone about as far as she could go. She's. And to her, to her point. And she's right. At least the system has kind of responded. But the community pressure that is now and judges will say they don't listen to that. They don't listen to any commentators like me or even interviews like with good people like you. But the judges surely must be understanding. The community is dismayed with the way this legal system is currently operating. 00:07:01 S3: Yeah. Um, I mean, I know for a fact there's other, um, handing downs that have gone before the court. They've actually gone down after me. Um, and I just kept wondering, like, when's it going to be right for my turn to come through and get, you know, either a good outcome or a bad outcome? Um, and like I said to someone today, I said, I guess you wait long enough and a good result has come out of it. Um. Be good if it could happen straight from the get go. Um, and hopefully now it will, um, and and go using my, my fight and ambition to try and help, you know, restore a bit of faith in people to not give up. Um, it's just a couple of lessons I've had to learn over the last few years, but, um, yeah, I'm pretty ecstatic with what how it's come about. 00:07:56 S1: You know? And I get it. But, you know, another six months is one thing, but just the conviction being recorded, as you say, is the is the right thing. But there are people who have had I mean, if that knife had come in at a slightly different angle. Had gone a little bit further. You wouldn't be here now. I mean, that is that's the reality that people need to know that you faced, frankly, by just millimeters, the difference between life and death. And this guy's getting 18 months and a conviction recorded. I guess that's as good as we could hope for. 00:08:31 S3: Yeah, mate, I mean, I still I still live that trauma every day. Every night. Um, like the numbness in the side where the knife had gone through and knowing how close I was to death on that side of it. Um, it is tough that side of the fence. Um, and people that, you know, it's hard to even understand or anything to know what someone goes through with that side of things, but especially surviving. I mean, if you've lost a loved one through it, which, you know, there's a lot of people that have, um, it's all in the same boat, mate. I just, I live that still every day, like I said. Numbness all down the left hand side of me. The sleepless nights. Bad visions. The mental psychological trauma that still does to me daily. Um. But to have an outcome to get the criminal convictions recorded is a, um. Yeah, I'm. I'm ecstatic about that part. 00:09:34 S1: Take it. 00:09:36 S3: Take it. At least now because. Yeah, mate. Because I know for a fact that he is still inside for doing, um, other crimes after you've just been let out from mine. Mhm. Um, but as an adult. So now I know for a fact that when he does have to get sentenced for those at least this childhood record of what he's done to me is actually going to stand up in front of another judge when he has to go through there, and it's going to affect him that way as well. 00:10:01 S1: Well, mate, either way you look after yourself. You know where we are. I look forward to shaking your hand at some stage, Chris, but, you know, you've set a precedent. That's what basically has happened here. So thank you on behalf of other Queenslanders. Well done to you. Look after yourself, Chris Sanders. A dreadful as Lindy Atkinson from Victims first says it's it is a win for victims of crime, violent youth crime. And in the case of Chris Sanders, it sets a precedent. Despite what the ICAC laws are adult crime, adult time laws not being in place at the time of the offence. Great to see the Attorney General picked up on the fact that the sentence did not meet community expectations and followed through, resulting in the appeal judges finding the sentence for wounding to be manifestly inadequate and the convictions recorded for assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed and and wounding will help validate, uh, for this victim the trauma, the pain and the suffering that he continues to endure. For some, there is no justice in the legal system, with convictions being downgraded as confessions are gathered and people forgetting files on desks. These stories are real. It's happening now. It's not good enough. Needs to change. 11 to 5.