Justice served as father sentenced for decades of sadistic abuse

After decades of silence, five brothers have finally seen justice as their father, William Thomas Cohen, 68, was sentenced for a decade of brutal physical and psychological abuse between 1988 and 1999.

Cohen was convicted of 18 historical charges following a trial earlier this year, where harrowing accounts emerged of his cruelty, including beatings, strangulations, and terrifying incidents involving guns.

His sons, who were placed in his care after their parents’ separation, described long-lasting emotional and psychological scars from the abuse, which included being lined up and threatened with execution. Despite Cohen’s defense that he was under financial stress and that it was a different time, the court rejected his claims, with Judge Taryn Bayley calling his actions “sadistic” and emphasising the immeasurable emotional harm caused.

During the sentencing in Whangārei District Court, the sons shared painful victim impact statements, detailing how their father’s abuse haunted their adult lives, leading to feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.

One son expressed a sense of long-awaited relief at seeing his father held accountable, while another described how becoming a parent drove him to confront his trauma and seek justice.

Despite Cohen’s continued refusal to accept responsibility, Judge Bayley sentenced him to six and a half years in prison, stating that the violence inflicted on the boys was intolerable and beyond any acceptable parental discipline. The ruling brought some closure to the brothers, who endured years of suffering that had gone unheard for far too long.