Paedophile Mark Trevor Marshall cannot obtain proper treatment for PTSD inside prison, court hears

CONVICTED paedophile Mark Trevor Marshall needs treatment for childhood trauma that cannot be properly provided inside the prison environment, the Supreme Court has heard.

FW: Serial pedophile Mark Trevor Marshall, taken June 2013. Source: Supplied.

CONVICTED paedophile Mark Trevor Marshall needs treatment for childhood trauma that cannot be properly provided inside the prison environment, the Supreme Court has heard.

Mark Trevor Marshall, who has a history of abusing children dating back to 1987, is being held in prison indefinitely after being deemed unwilling or unable to control his sexual instincts.

Marshall, 47, was to be released in 2011 but was held in custody after suitable accommodation could not be found.

The sex offender has asked Supreme Court judge Ann Vanstone to approve his release back into the community.

Justice Vanstone today heard Marshall would always remain a “moderate to high risk” of offending again.

Department of Corrections rehabilitation programs manager Clark Sim told the court that Marshall had responded well to intensive treatment programs in prison.

But Mr Sim said that further treatment to address underlying problems caused by Marshall’s sexual abuse as a child would be difficult to administer in the “unsafe” prison environment.

“It is impossible to change some of these factors so he is an individual that will remain a moderate to high risk regardless of treatment,” Mr Sim said.

“There has been some success but there will remain dynamic risk factors that will require further treatment and monitoring.”

Mr Sim said Marshall required treatment for post traumatic stress disorder and feelings of “persecution” by police who investigated his offending in the early 2000s.

He told the court that prisoners were unable to obtain Medicare funding to such programs while in custody and that it was important for Marshall “not to feel isolated” if he were to be released.

Prosecutor Lucy Boord said that unless Marshall received treatment to address his past history and ongoing PTSD while in custody, it was unlikely that psychiatrists would deem him suitable for any form of release.

Ms Boord said a possible solution could be for Marshall to undergo treatment in prison for the next six to nine months, after which he could relaunch his bid for freedom and obtain new reports.

Marshall, who represented himself in court, said he believed his life would remain at risk while in custody.

“I was told even before I came to prison that I would never get out of here alive, I’m concerned about my safety inside the prison and when I get out,” he said.

Dressed in a light blue prison jumper and sporting a shaved head, Marshall told the court he had been assaulted by fellow inmates twice in recent times as he slept in his cell.

“It’s my safety that’s under threat at the moment and I’m not very happy about the situation I’m being kept in and what it’s doing to me mentally,” he said.

Justice Vanstone adjourned the case for two weeks to allow Marshall time to decide whether to press ahead with his current application or to undergo treatment inside prison before obtaining further psychiatric reports.