Former Australian Indoor Hockey coach Lauren Austin avoids jail over indecent dealing with underage girl

A former Australian Indoor Hockey coach has avoided jail after kissing a teenager in her care. Lauren Nicole Austin, 40, was sentenced to a 12-month community based order in the Perth District Court on Friday, after admitting to four counts of indecently dealing with a child aged under 16. The offences related to a teenage girl and occurred in the Perth metro area in 2024. The court was told Austin unexpectedly contacted the victim by phone, which was a surprise to the teen because they were not well known to each other. The messages and calls were friendly at first, before they became more frequent and sexual in nature. “I find you very attractive,” Austin told the girl. The court was told the victim agreed to meet Austin for a coffee and met at a car park. The pair went for a walk on a beach where Austin kissed the victim on the lips, but she pulled away and told the older woman she felt uncomfortable about her age. On another occasion Austin said to the teen, “The things I could do to you” and “I know you want this”. In a phone conversation, the prosecutor said Austin asked the girl not to tell anyone because she could get into trouble. The court was told the victim had a panic attack and told other hockey coaches what happened. The victim reported the incidents to the sports integrity unit and was advised about reporting Austin’s conduct to police. Sexual violence helplines Judge Michael Bowen said the victim made it clear that she did not want further contact with Austin who apologised and recognised the line between them had blurred. He said the victim was young and at a stage in her life when she was trying to advance her career and looked up to Austin as a role model. “You breached trust not only for the victim, but the wider community,” he said. “There was a degree of persistence that must be condemned. “She said she deleted the messages because she was disgusted and thought she had been taken advantage of.” Mr Bowen said Austin had become socially isolated since she was charged and had lost friendships as a result of her offending. “You understand what you did was wrong and accept responsibility for your wrongdoing,” he said. According to Hockey Australia, Austin was a member of the Australian Indoor Hockey Squad from 2006 until 2020. She represented Australia at two Indoor Hockey Work Cups in 2007 and 2018, scoring five goals across both tournaments. She competed in other international indoor tours and was awarded player of the match multiple times. She retired from hockey when demand for her cleaning business in Western Australia increased during Covid, along with the time and investment needed to compete at a World Cup. Hockey Australia banned her from having any involvement in any level of sport.