Žrtev Jeda Gordona, brata bobnarja skupine Parkway Drive Bena Gordona, je prvič javno spregovorila o zlorabi, zaradi katere je bil Gordon prejšnji teden obsojen na sodišču v Byron Bayu v Avstraliji.
Jed Gordon, ki je v preteklosti sodeloval tudi pri spletni prodaji uradnega blaga skupine Parkway Drive, je marca priznal krivdo za spolni odnos z mladoletno osebo, staro med 14 in 16 let.
Po poročanju avstralskih medijev je Gordon leta 2002, ko je bil star 21 let, stopil v stik s 15-letnim dekletom. Stik se je nato nadaljeval tudi v letu 2003. Leta 2021 je žrtev poskušala stopiti v stik z Gordonom, dve leti kasneje pa je primer prijavila policiji.
Sodni dokumenti, ki jih je pridobil Rolling Stone AU/NZ, navajajo, da je bil Gordon obsojen na triletni program nadzorovane skupnostne kazni, ki bo trajal od maja 2026 do maja 2029. Poleg nadzora s strani pristojnih služb mora opraviti tudi 300 ur družbenokoristnega dela.
Ženska, ki je zdaj javno razkrila svojo identiteto kot Rachel Kila, je v intervjuju za ABC povedala, da je zloraba pustila posledice, ki jih čuti še danes.
»Dejstvo je, da je bil on odrasla oseba, jaz pa sem bila še otrok,« je povedala za ABC.
Kila je ena izmed 35 oseb, ki so za ABC spregovorile o izkušnjah odraščanja v Byron Bayu v začetku 2000-ih, ko je tamkajšnja hardcore scena doživljala velik razcvet. Več žensk je opisalo okolje, v katerem naj bi bile spolne zlorabe, neprimerni odnosi med odraslimi moškimi in mladoletnicami ter zloraba moči pogost pojav.
V izjavi o vplivu kaznivega dejanja na žrtev, predstavljeni na sodišču, je Kila zapisala, da je zaradi Gordonovih dejanj dolga leta živela z občutki sramu in travme.
»Spolna in čustvena zloraba, ki sem jo doživela, je močno vplivala na mojo sposobnost vzpostavljanja in ohranjanja partnerskih, družinskih, prijateljskih in poklicnih odnosov,« je zapisala.
Primer je sprožil tudi širšo razpravo o kulturi, ki je v tistem obdobju prevladovala v lokalni glasbeni skupnosti.
Po tem, ko je ABC pridobil stare rap posnetke sedanjega basista Parkway Drive, Jie O’Connorja, v katerih se pojavljajo žaljive reference do mladoletnih deklet in spolnega nasilja, se je glasbenik javno opravičil.
»Nekaterih teh pesmi me je globoko sram,« je zapisal O’Connor. »Čeprav so bile nekatere skladbe ustvarjene v drugačnem času in okoliščinah, to ne spremeni dejstva, da so prizadele ljudi. Za svoj prispevek k takšni kulturi se iskreno opravičujem.«
Tudi člani skupine Parkway Drive so v izjavi za ABC obsodili takšno vedenje.
»Vedenjski vzorci, povezani z zlorabo moči, težavami glede privolitve in ustrahovanjem, so bili prisotni povsod. Dekleta in ženske so pogosto nosile največje posledice. To je srce parajoče in nesprejemljivo,« je zapisala skupina.
Frontman Winston McCall je že marca v video izjavi poudaril, da skupina takšna dejanja »brez vsakršnega oklevanja obsoja«.
Vir: Rolling Stone AU/NZ
Victim of Jed Gordon Speaks Out; Parkway Drive Bassist Apologises for Past Music
The victim of Jed Gordon, brother of Parkway Drive drummer Ben Gordon, has publicly spoken about the abuse that led to Gordon’s conviction in an Australian court last week.
Gordon, who previously worked with Parkway Drive’s online merchandise team, pleaded guilty in March to having sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of 14 and 16.
According to Australian media reports, Gordon was 21 years old when he began communicating with a 15-year-old girl in 2002. The contact continued into 2003. The victim reportedly attempted to contact Gordon in 2021 before reporting the matter to police in 2023.
Court documents obtained by Rolling Stone AU/NZ show that Gordon was sentenced to a three-year Community Correction Order running from May 2026 until May 2029. He will also be required to complete 300 hours of community service and remain under supervision.
The woman, now publicly identified as Rachel Kila, spoke to ABC about the lasting impact the abuse has had on her life.
“The facts are that he was an adult, and I was still a child,” Kila said.
Kila is one of 35 individuals who spoke to ABC about growing up in Byron Bay during the early 2000s, when the town’s hardcore music scene was rapidly expanding. Several women described an environment in which sexual abuse, inappropriate relationships between adults and minors, and abuses of power were prevalent.
In her victim impact statement presented to the court, Kila explained that she had spent much of her life dealing with shame and trauma resulting from Gordon’s actions.
“The sexual and emotional abuse that he subjected me to has hindered my ability to navigate romantic, platonic, family and professional relationships,” the statement read.
The case has also sparked broader discussions about the culture that existed within parts of the local music community at the time.
After ABC obtained old rap recordings by current Parkway Drive bassist Jia O’Connor containing derogatory references to teenage girls and sexual violence, the musician issued a public apology.
“I am deeply ashamed of some of those songs,” O’Connor said. “While some of that material was created in a different time and environment, that does not excuse the harm it caused. I am deeply sorry for contributing to that culture.”
Parkway Drive also released a statement condemning such behaviour.
“Behaviours like power imbalances, consent issues and bullying were everywhere. Girls and women often bore the brunt of it. It’s heartbreaking and unacceptable,” the band said.
Frontman Winston McCall previously addressed the issue in a video statement, saying the band “condemns this without hesitation.”
Source: Rolling Stone AU/NZ
