A man who was sexually abused by Jeffrey “Joffa” Corfe has confronted the Collingwood Football Club identity in court, saying he carried the impact of his crime for more than 15 years.
Corfe last year pleaded guilty to abusing the teenager after inviting him to his home in 2005 when Corfe was 44 and the boy was 14.
Jeffrey Corfe arriving to the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday.Credit:Luis Ascui
The pair had communicated sporadically via email and MSN chat from late 2004 to early 2005 before arranging to meet up in person. The court heard that during their communication, Corfe routinely steered the conversation toward sexual matters, as the boy asked questions.
When the boy arrived for their first face-to-face meeting, Corfe – who answered the door in a worn jumper and with unwashed hair – was older and more unkempt than he had described.
Even though he didn’t match the description, the boy said he didn’t leave because he didn’t want to upset or offend Corfe.
Oral sex occurred before the boy left upset.
The man, who is now in his 30s and cannot be identified for legal reasons, said that since the day Corfe assaulted him, he “felt like I had this dirty, embarrassing, shameful secret that I was terrified of anyone finding out”.
“What you did to me on that one day in 2005 planted something so toxic in my mind that, for 15 years, I was convinced that I was a bad person, and that I deserved nothing good,” he said in a victim impact statement read out in court.
“I now know and believe that I’m a good person, I deserve to be happy. I did not deserve to spend those years hating myself.
“But now that I understand that I was not to blame for what you did to me, sometimes I feel like I’m mourning the 15 years that I lost.”
Jeffrey Corfe outside the MCG in 2018.Credit:Justin McManus
The man stood in the witness box to face Corfe, looking at him directly as he spoke.
He said Corfe’s conduct against him was aggravated by the lengthy court process, which dragged on for more than a year despite the fact Corfe knew he was guilty.
“The fact that you’ve inflicted even more trauma upon me by dragging me through this process for more than a year longer than is necessary is something that I will never forgive you for,” the victim said.
As the details of his offending were read out, Corfe did not look up, staring at his fingers interlaced in his lap. He sweated through a grey, short-sleeved shirt.
When the man entered the witness box to give his victim impact statement, Corfe removed his glasses and listened.
As the man read his statement, his father turned around and watched Corfe, the man who abused his son.
The court heard that when Corfe was originally interviewed by police in May 2021, he said he didn’t recall meeting the boy, and he would not have met up with someone under the age of consent.
He told police he didn’t remember them exchanging emails and suggested that someone might have an issue with him because of his association with the Collingwood Football Club.
Before the hearing in the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday morning, Corfe told reporters: “have a good day everyone”.
Best known as “Joffa”, Collingwood’s most prominent supporter, Corfe used to lead the cheer squad and was a regular fixture on game day.
When Corfe was charged, the Collingwood Football Club released a statement, saying: “Collingwood condemns without qualification inappropriate conduct of any kind but cannot, and will not, comment on matters before the courts.”
In December last year, this masthead reported that a second man had come forward and accused Corfe of sexually assaulting him when he was 16. That allegation became public less than a month after Corfe pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the 14-year-old boy in 2005.
Corfe will be sentenced for proven assault on Monday.
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