Dick Caine

Richard “Dick” Caine was an Australian Olympic swimming coach who was convicted in 2024 for 39 sexual offences commited against his female students in the 1970s and 1980s. ^[1][2]

Caine was the former head coach at Carss Park swimming pool in Sydney for more than 40 years until his retirement in 2018.^[3] In 2022, he was inducted into the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall. However, his induction was nullified few months later due to a nine count sexual abuse charges between 1980's and1970's that was levied against him.The charges eventually got to 39 before his death in 2024.^[3]

Caine was convicted by court to have had carnal knowledge of his female students between the age of 10-16 years in the 1970s and 1980s.^[4] The crime was committed in his place of work, Carss Park swimming pool in Sydney’s south, in his car and at his home.^[5] The court found out that Caine had deep interest in pre-pubescent and pubescent girls which included raping a 10 year old girl. Some of the victims also revealed that they were virgin and even yet to even kiss a boy during the incidents.^[1][6]

Due to the health of Caine, he did not answer the allegations directly. Therefore, the case was done in a special hearing instead of a trial. The judge, Paul McGuire, revealed that he found evidence given by the victims to be reliable despite the passage of years.^[5] He said:

I am satisfied that each of the elements of each of the offences has been established beyond reasonable doubt.

Caine's lawyer argued that the incidents took place 50 years ago and the evidences are not reliable but the Judge objected and insisted that the victims' evidences are trustworthy. The Judge further make a compelling statement of one of the victims stating that:

she would not be putting herself, her husband and her family through this if what she was saying was a lie.

— Paul McGuire, Former elite Australian swimming coach convicted over dozens of sexual assaults on athletes as young as 10, The Guardian