Incest pair slammed
Incest pair ... John and Jennifer Deaves with their baby Celeste
AN INCESTUOUS relationship between a daughter and her father has been condemned by the woman's mother.
John Earnest Deaves and daughter Jennifer Anne Deaves, who have had a relationship for seven years and even have a child together have spoken publicly asking for respect and understanding.
But Jennifer Deaves' mother, Joan, has blasted the pair alongside Mr Deaves' second wife Dorothy, who also casts doubts on claims the pair had virtually no contact for 30 years before the relationship began.
Today, Joan, Mr Deaves' first wife said children deserved a better chance in life than one which was the result of an incestuous relationship.
"I just think that the whole relationship is dreadful," she said.
"These incestuous relationships produce children and the children have problems and it's not fair to kids."
The couple have been serving three-year good behaviour bonds since March this year, after pleading guilty to two counts of incest.
District Court sentencing judge Steven Millsteed said the first count of incest was based on an act of sexual intercourse which resulted in the birth of the couple's first child.
The second count of incest related to an act of sexual intercourse which resulted in the birth of their second child in May last year.
Judge Millsteed said: "The first child was born in 2001 but died a few days after birth due to a congenital heart disease."
After the birth of their second child they moved to Bordertown, near the Victorian border where the Department of Families and Communities became aware of their relationship and turned the matter over to police.
The judge said that when contacted by police the couple made full admissions.
He said the pair told him that they accepted their sexual relationship must end but hoped they would be able to continue to support one another and the children.
According to reports, last night Mrs Deaves said: "John and I are in this relationship as consenting adults.
"We are just asking for a little bit of respect and understanding."
Their nine-month-old daughter Celeste, shown on TV, appeared fit and healthy.
The couple said they started their relationship after being reunited in 2000, almost 30 years after Mr Deaves separated from Jennifer's mother, Joan.
Because of problems with her own marriage, Jennifer had gone to live with her father at Yongala, in South Australia.
Their physical relationship developed later that year and both ended their marriages and began living together.
Today, the pair said they did not view each other as father and daughter.
Mrs Deaves said: "After I had been there quite a few days I started to notice my feelings were changing and I was seeing him as a man, as a person, who was loving (and) caring."
Mr Deaves' second wife, Dorothy, who he married long after his split from Joan, today rubbished claims he and his daughter had virtually no contact for 30 years.
According to reports, when she married John Deaves in 1984, Jennifer, aged 15, stayed with them for a week.
She stayed with them four times before their marriage broke down in 2000 after the father and daughter took a trip to Dubbo together, she said.
"It was hard to face for a long time," Dorothy said.
"It's one of those things everyone's so upset about."