Serial rapist Raymond Slater seeking release from prison under laws that stopped child sex predator Colin Charles Humphrys
A COWARDLY serial rapist who forced his victim at knifepoint to wear lingerie is seeking release from prison — but must first get past tough new laws championed by The Advertiser.
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A COWARDLY serial rapist who forced his victim at knifepoint to wear lingerie is seeking release from prison — but must first get past tough new laws championed by The Advertiser.
Raymond Slater has filed a Supreme Court application seeking to return to the community under a strict, monitored licence, claiming he is now capable of controlling his sexual urges.
His lawyers have conceded Slater therefore falls under the jurisdiction of anti-predator laws drafted to stop kidnapper and child sex offender Colin Charles Humphrys.
As a result, even if Slater convinces the court he poses no threat to the public, the state’s prosecutors have the right to challenge that ruling and have it overturned.
On Sunday, Carly Ryan Foundation chief executive Sonya Ryan — who was instrumental in having the laws passed by Parliament — welcomed the news.
She said it showed the laws could be applied to any and all sexual offenders, not just paedophiles.
“Whether a sex offender harmed a child or an adult, if they are unable to control their sexual instincts then it’s vitally important the community is protected from them,” she said.
“That is exactly what the Release on License Bill was intended to do — when it comes to sexual predators, this behaviour should never be tolerated in our society.”
Slater, 54, committed his first rape in 1980 and went on to offend against two more women — he committed the last of his crimes at Pennington in April 2007.
He broke into his victim’s unit and, when she came downstairs from her bedroom to investigate, grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat.
Slater told the woman he had been hired by bikies to kill her because her son owed them money — which was false — and that he would do so if she “did not keep quiet”.
When the woman saw Slater’s face, he again said he would kill her but instead forced her to dress in lingerie and then raped her.
After the rape, Slater forced the woman to make him coffee and sat watching television and talking to her — still armed with the knife — for two hours before leaving.
In sentencing in April 2008, District Court Judge Steven Millsteed told Slater he was a coward.
“This must have been a terrifying ordeal for the woman … your offences were very serious and cowardly,” he said.
He jailed Slater for 10 years with an eight-year non-parole period — Slater was subsequently deemed incapable of controlling himself and detained indefinitely.
In June this year, the Sentencing Act was amended following a campaign by The Advertiser, the Carly Ryan Foundation and a child abuse survivor known as “XX”.
The successful campaign was sparked by a court order that Humphrys, who kidnapped XX when he was 9, be released to live in the Bowden-Brompton area.
In a rare bipartisan move, both sides of politics agreed to toughen the laws so predators must prove they have rehabilitated before they can be considered for release.
That proof must come from three medical health experts, all of whom must agree the offender is willing and capable of exercising self-control.
They also granted the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions power to seek to have release orders revoked — an application regarding Humphrys is being considered.
In court, Robert Lutt, for Slater, asked a date be set for the hearing of his client’s application.
“We have provided the court with dates as to the availability of the medical practitioners,” he said.
“We also ask that a report from the Parole Board be requested as, to date, that has not been ordered.”
Chief Justice Chris Kourakis asked whether counsel had considered “which legislation applies”, and Mr Lutt said they had.
“It’s accepted that the new provisions also affect this application,” he said.
Chief Justice Kourakis remanded Slater in custody for a hearing in October.
On Sunday, Ms Ryan said the importance of the legal reform could not be overstated.
“Applications for release are made by sex offenders daily,” she said.
“It’s vitally important the legal framework reflects community expectations and ensures the safety of children, women and vulnerable members of our communities.”