A Sunshine Coast massage therapist has been jailed after pleading guilty to rape and aggravated assault.
Cameron Michael Petrie was sentenced at Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday to two and a half years’ imprisonment, suspended after eight months. He also received an 18-month sentence on a separate count, to be served concurrently.
The court outcome follows Petrie formally pleading guilty to all charges, including rape and aggravated assault.
Caroline Clarke, the complainant in the case, said she had chosen to speak publicly about the matter and the need for stronger regulation of the massage therapy industry.
“What’s motivated me is that most victims, when they freeze during sexual assault or domestic violence, carry shame and it stops them from coming forward,” she said.
“The freeze response is survival, and I want other victims to know that even though you couldn’t voice it in the moment, you can use your voice to hold the person accountable.”
Ms Clarke, a former police officer and trauma professional, said she was disappointed with the sentence.
“I’m a bit disappointed in the sense that he serves eight months, and that’s less than half of the ordeal I’ve been through over the last 18 months. That stings,” she said.
She said she now wanted to focus on supporting other women to speak out.
“I’m hoping to empower women to break their silence, because I’ve broken mine,” she said.
“I’m not the only one, as we know from the press at the moment, and the massage industry needs to be regulated. I’m going to call for change.”
Ms Clarke said stronger oversight was needed within the massage therapy sector.
“The massage industry in Australia is completely unregulated. No registration, no police checks, no qualifications required. That has to change. Too many vulnerable women are being harmed in spaces they assumed were safe,” she said.
“My movement, No More Silence, exists for every woman who froze, who couldn’t speak, who carried shame that was never hers to carry. Your silence was never the problem. And it is never too late to speak.”
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Petrie was previously banned from providing any health services while facing charges.
In December 2024, the state’s Health Ombudsman prohibited him from providing or supporting any health service, paid or unpaid, in a clinical or non-clinical capacity.
The ban came 13 days after police charged the 34-year-old with one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault, with allegations the incidents occurred at a Sunshine Beach business in November 2024.
The order remains in place until it is revoked by the Health Ombudsman or set aside by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
At the time, Petrie had worked as a masseur for 15 years.
