Gersbach v Gersbach [2018] NSWSC 1685

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Gersbach v Gersbach [2018] NSWSC 1685 Hearing dates: 10 – 14 July 2017;18 – 21 July 2017 Date of orders: 09 November 2018 Decision date: 09 November 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Garling J Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant. (2) Plaintiff to pay the defendant's costs. Catchwords: TORTS – intentional torts – personal injury –allegations of historic sexual and physical child abuse – damages sought for psychiatric injury and consequential loss

EVIDENCE – civil standard of proof – approach to assessment of credibility – burden of proof to the Briginshaw standard – Evidence Act 1995, s 140(2) Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Crimes Act 1900 Crimes Amendment (Child Protection—Physical Mistreatment) Act 2001 Evidence Act 1995 Limitation Act 1969 Limitation Amendment (Child Abuse) Act 2016 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw [1938] HCA 34; (1938) 60 CLR 336 Cleary v Booth [1893] 1 QB 465 CSR Ltd v Eddy [2005] HCA 64; (2005) 226 CLR 1 Gray v Motor Accident Commission [1998] HCA 70; (1998) 196 CLR 1 Jones v Hyde [1989] HCA 20; (1989) 63 ALJR 349 Longman v The Queen [1989] HCA 60; (1989) 168 CLR 79 M v M [1988] HCA 68; (1988) 166 CLR 69 MacKenzie v The Queen [1996] HCA 35; (1996) 190 CLR 348 MBP (SA) Pty Ltd v Gogic [1991] HCA 3; (1991) 171 CLR 657 New South Wales v Riley [2003] NSWCA 208 Police (SA) v G, DM [2016] SASC 39; (2016) 258 A Crim R 75 R v Dickson [1983] 1 VR 227 R v Griffin (1869) 11 Cox CC 402 R v Mackie [1973] Crim LR 54 R v Terry [1955] VLR 114 Sullivan v Gordon [1999] NSWCA 338; (1999) 47 NSWLR 319 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd (1966) 117 CLR 118 Varmedja v Varmedja [2008] NSWCA 177 XY v Featherstone [2010] NSWSC 1366 Texts Cited: International Classification of Diseases Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jayne Gersbach (P) Rodney Gersbach (D) Representation: Counsel: M Finnane QC / M McAuley (P) G P McNally SC / N Roucek (D)