Paedophile swim coach dies weeks after conviction for sexually assaulting young girls

Former Australian Olympic swimming coach Dick Caine has died, weeks after he was found guilty of raping and sexually abusing six female students in the 1970s and 1980s

Caine, who had been in palliative care for terminal cancer, is reported to have died on Wednesday morning at the age of 78.

Caine was found guilty in August after being charged with 39 historic offences committed in the 1970s and 1980s at the Kogarah War Memorial Pool at Carss Park in Sydney’s south, as well as at Caine’s home and in his car.

With Caine having been arrested in 2022, in December last year, a NSW District Court judge held that he was unfit to be tried in the traditional sense and the case proceeded as a special hearing before a judge alone.

While lawyers for Caine challenged the reliability of witness testimony during the hearing, given it related to events that occurred almost 50 years ago, Judge Paul McGuire last month found they were honest and reliable witnesses, whose evidence he variously described as compelling, measured, thoughtful and containing concessions where appropriate.

However, Caine did not appear for a single day of his hearing because he was deemed unfit to do so due to his medical condition.

Caine was due to be sentenced in December, at which time the six victims were due to deliver their victim impact statements.

This is now unlikely to go ahead.

Caine, had previously trained a number of champion swimmers and had been inducted into the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations:

1800Respect (1800 737 732).

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380.

Image: Former swimming coach Richard 'Dick' Caine. Credit: Supplied.