Warning: This article deals with indecent assault and may be upsetting for some readers.
A scientist who became a “highly sought-after” tutor following the Covid pandemic has been convicted of the indecent assault of three of his school-age students.
The Napier District Court was told that the young women had been “seriously affected” after being assaulted by Rashmi Kant, 51, who has a doctorate in entomology, the study of insects.
Judge Bridget Mackintosh said she had read victim impact statements that said the young women experienced psychological and emotional consequences because of his offending, leading to issues of trust and self-worth.
The victims should be going out with “a spring in their step and the world at their feet”, but instead they were suffering ongoing consequences.
“It will take some time for them to get over what has happened to them,” she said.
Found guilty at trial
Kant, of Havelock North, was found guilty at a jury trial of 11 charges of indecent assault of a female over the age of 16, which involved touching their thighs and breasts over their clothing and, in one instance, placing a hand inside a bra.
Judge Mackintosh said Kant was a well-qualified professional who began tutoring after Covid and was highly sought-after.
The offending happened in 2023 and 2024.
Kant denied it at trial and said any touching was accidental, or done in a “congratulatory way”.
Touches on the inner thigh and the hand down the bra did not happen, he said.
But Judge Mackintosh said she would sentence Kant in line with the jury’s verdicts and that he was looking at what happened “through your own lens rather than [that of] the victims”.
Kant’s counsel, Eric Forster, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had suffered a “fall from grace” after contributing much to society.
“It’s a sad case that he produces so much good, but there is an aspect of him that’s caused so much emotional trauma,” Forster said.
Crown prosecutor Amber Hutton said there were aggravating features in the age disparity between Kant and his victims, the breaches of trust and repeated offending, escalating to skin-on-skin contact.
Judge Mackintosh imposed a sentence of 11 months of home detention with conditions, which will extend for six months after completion, not to contact the young women and to attend counselling as directed.
A probation officer’s report said that Kant was unlikely to reoffend.
Kant has offered payments of $500 to each of the women for emotional harm and to refund their tutoring fees.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
