A youth advocate has handed back his Order of Australia Medal honour after he pleaded guilty to assaulting several hogtied teenagers he met through the charity he founded.
Cody Schaeffer, 32, assaulted five teenage boys, aged 14 to 17, at his home in Alexandra Hills between 2021 and 2023.
In Brisbane Magistrates Court last week, he was sentenced to 9 months in jail, wholly suspended for 18 months.
The court heard Schaeffer paid each boy to be “hogtied” and “have their feet slapped with coat hangers”.
Prosecutor Kacie Atkinson said the victims initially agreed, but when they asked Schaeffer to stop, he did not.
“Some victims had duct tape placed over their eyes and mouth, which was not consented to,” she said.
Cody Schaeffer founded the charity Borderline Australia. (Supplied: Cody Schaeffer)
Ms Atkinson said Schaeffer had targeted vulnerable youths he met through his charity work.
“He was in a position of power and trust over these children,” she said.
Schaeffer founded a youth charity in 2019 called Borderline Australia, which ran camps for young people to talk about mental health.
In 2023, he was the youngest Australian to be awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to youth and the community of Queensland.
Schaeffer told the ABC he emailed the Governor-General’s office on March 14 to “voluntarily revoke” his OAM.
“I am grateful for receiving that honour after years of community work from when I was 15 years old, but I agree that we should uphold the honours system and anyone who is charged and found guilty of any crime small or large shouldn’t have this honour,” he said.
Cody Haywood Schaeffer says he has written to the Governor-General to “voluntarily revoke” his Order of Australia Medal. (Supplied: Instagram)
The Governor-General can revoke Order of Australia awards and appointments if a conviction or crime has been recorded against the recipient.
A spokesperson for the Council of the Order of Australia told the ABC the council “does not comment on its deliberations or individual recipients of an award”.
But a webpage previously referencing Schaeffer’s OAM honour has been deleted.
A petition calling for Schaeffer’s OAM to be stripped had racked up 7,000 signatures by Wednesday morning.
Former youth advocated sentenced for assaulting teens
A former camp attendee and volunteer, Abby, said she hoped the victims felt supported by the wider community.
“[Cody] received [his OAM] for his service to youth and the community but it was that very service that allowed him to identify and hurt people,” she said.
Abby said when she attended the camp, she was looking for a “safe place” where she could be herself and “feel accepted.”
“To think that Cody created a place that felt just like that and went on to assault children he met at camps is a level of betrayal that is hard to even begin to describe.”
Another person, who also attended one of the camps, said he was “relieved” that Schaeffer had withdrawn his OAM.
“I think it’s the right thing he’s done. He didn’t deserve it,” they said.
“Cody referred to himself as a big brother, told you he was there if you ever needed it.”
Neither of the camp attendees were complainants in the court case against Schaeffer.
In response to their comments, Schaeffer said he “understood” how those who knew him felt.
“I understand the emotions surrounding this news, and I do not shy away from them,” he said.
“It is heartbreaking to know that the dedication of our volunteers has been undermined by my past mistakes, but I take full responsibility for that reality.
“In the face of public outcry and conflicting narratives, I am choosing to stand in the truth.Â
“I was immature, and I didn’t provide the protection that young people in my life deserved — some who I’ve known since I was 15 myself.
“Accountability matters for everyone, regardless of the scale. I am sitting with my mistakes, learning from them, and committing to a path of radical change.Â
“I am remorseful for the past and entirely open to the person I must become.”
A Queensland government spokesperson told the ABC earlier this week that while “the decision rests with the Governor-General, he should absolutely be stripped of the OAM.”
“Queenslanders condemn these vile acts because they are not befitting of anyone in our community, and our thoughts are with his victims and their families.”
Accolades highlighted during sentencing
Borderline Australia’s charity registration has been revoked, and its Instagram page was also deleted after the ABC revealed last year that Mr Schaeffer was charged with assault.
A year before being awarded the OAM, Schaffer was a finalist for Queensland Young Australian of the Year and was named Brisbane’s 2020 Young Citizen of the Year.
During his sentence, his lawyer Danielle Egan highlighted his multiple awards, including the OAM.
She also told the court the allegations against him became public in his inner circle in the years before his arrest and he had attempted to self-harm.
Magistrate Zachary Sarra said those submissions “seems like a contradiction”.
“In one breath … his life’s not worth living and on the other breath there are all these wonderful accolades.”
Magistrate Sarra questioned why he did not own up to the offending and decline the accolades.
“If people are remorseful for their actions and if they are having some sort of conscience dilemma, sometimes people they confess,” he said.
“[They say] You know I did the wrong thing, I’ve taken advantage of my position, I’m not worthy of these awards because I violated those children,” he said.
“But that’s a dirty secret I’m not going to tell anyone because I’m here to receive these awards.”
“Therein lies the contradiction.”