Serial paedophile Gavin Shaun Schuster to be released from jail to live near playgrounds at Kilburn, court rules

A SENIOR judge has ordered serial sex predator Gavin Shaun Schuster be released from custody into a care facility near children's playgrounds.

Generic photo of male silhouette 14 Apr 2002.

• LOCAL MP: Kilburn should not be a dumping ground for paedophiles
• LOCAL PARENT: Kilburn families will have grave concerns
• SCHUSTER’S VILE CRIMES: Stress ‘triggers attacks on children’

A SENIOR judge has ordered serial sex predator Gavin Shaun Schuster be released from custody into a care facility near children's playgrounds in Adelaide’s northern suburbs — but prosecutors say they may challenge the decision.

In the Supreme Court on Friday, Justice John Sulan said he had decided Schuster should be released on licence back into the community after decades in prison for repeated offending against both boys and girls.

However, he said Schuster would not be permitted to immediately move from Yatala Labour Prison to an Anglicare facility at Kilburn.

“In my view, Schuster should be released on licence under conditions set by the Parole Board,” he said.

“Once those conditions have been settled, they will be brought back to court for my approval.

“I will then suspend his release for one month to enable the Parole Board, the Department for Correctional Services and SA Police to implement the conditions.”

Since the age of 12, Schuster has befriended children, both boys and girls, and then sexually abused them when he feels “frustrated” with daily life.

Now 40, he has been indefinitely detained as an uncontrollable sex predator since 2000 save for a short period in 2008, when he was released and immediately reoffended.

His current bid for supervised release began in 2013, but has stalled due to a lack of suitable accommodation for him.

Schuster’s doctors insist he must be released now to avoid institutionalisation, while Justice Sulan has conceded he will “always” be a risk but “nothing is perfect in this world”.

Following Schuster’s last court hearing, parents in the Prospect and Kilburn areas said they feared he would be “tempted” by the proximity of the playgrounds.

They said their children deserved to be able to play outside without thinking “is this person going to be there”.

Federal MP Kate Ellis asked Attorney-General John Rau to intervene, as he had in a previous sex offender release case, but he declined to do so despite sharing her concerns.

On Friday, prosecutor Emma Roper said authorities would require more than one month to prepare for Schuster’s release.

“It will take a further six to eight weeks for further training of the staff that will supervise him,” she said.

“Also, an appeal will be considered by the DPP, and a final decision about an appeal will be made once the Director has read Your Honour’s reasons (for release).”

Justice Sulan remanded Schuster in custody for two weeks, at which time he will hear the Parole Board’s proposed conditions.

He said he was prepared to suspend Schuster’s release pending the possible appeal.

After the hearing, Ms Ellis said she was “completely shocked and utterly disappointed” by the decision.

“Quite frankly, I think it is disgraceful,” she said.

“Parents have every reason to be outraged — as a society, we should be putting the interests of children and the local community ahead of the interests of a convicted paedophile, especially one who has been found to be a risk of reoffending.

“This isn’t the end — I’ll be asking the State Government to immediately look at whatever steps can be taken to intervene before this man is released.”

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