Disability carer Arjun Kandel jailed for raping intellectually disabled woman

A ‘predatory’ disability carer has been sentenced after ‘horrifically’ raping an intellectually disabled woman in his care.

A “predatory” government employed disability worker who raped an intellectually disabled woman, then washed her bedsheets and clothes “thinking he would get away with it”, has been jailed for over a decade.

In the South Australian District Court on Tuesday afternoon, Judge Liesl Kudelka jailed former disability worker Arjun Kandel, 45, for his “horrific” rape of a woman in his care.

Judge Liesl Kudelka has jailed former disability worker, Arjun Kandel for the rape of a intellectually disabled woman in his care. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

Kandel was found guilty at trial of one count each of rape and aggravated indecent assault.

In sentencing, Judge Kudelka said he had raped the 35-year-old woman on one afternoon when he was filling in for another carer.

“You committed both offences on 7 August, 2020. (The victim) was 35 and living at a residential care facility owned by the Department of Human Services which accommodated adults who required special care because of their disability.

“(The victim) has a moderate to severe disability, and required 24 hour staff support to supervise her throughout the day, and be at call at night.

“You raped and indecently assaulted (the victim) in her bedroom. She said it was ‘a bad thing’.”

Judge Kudelka said in the days after the rape, the victim told her mother what had happened, and was taken to hospital for a medical examination.

“(The victim’s mother) described you as a perpetrator exploding reality from the nightmare of every parent’s fear of abuse in supportive care.

“She said you paraded as a supportive carer who then abused the most vulnerable person behind closed doors.”

In her victim impact statement just a day before Kandel was sentenced, the woman’s foster mother told the court her daughter had been raped for hours.

“You had opportunity to lock her door to block intrusion,” she said.

“Arjun Kandel, you raped her body over two hours and her soul forever.”

Arjun Kandel, a disability support worker who raped a woman in his care, has been jailed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

“Yesterday, your counsel advised me that you now accept your verdict. In other words, you now admit that you raped and indecently assaulted (the victim) that day,” Judge Kudelka said.

“Adults with a disability are amongst the most vulnerable members of the community.

“As a community, it is unfortunate that we need to have strict rules and screening procedures to try and keep them safe from predators.

“Sadly, there are people like you who target the vulnerable because of their vulnerability. Abusers like you think you’ll get away with it, because someone with such an intellectual disability will either be unable to complain, and if they do, no one will believe them.

“Predators like you should be warned in these terms; we have a very vulnerable person here who did complain, who did speak out, and she was believed.

“I sentence you to 12 years imprisonment. I fix a non-parole period of seven years.”

She said the sentence would commence from the date Kandel’s bail was revoked in June, meaning he will be eligible for release in June 2031.

Judge Kudelka then thanked the victim’s mother for her impact statement.

“Thank you for your justice served,” the mother said.

Outside court, she said the outcome was amazing.

“People will be safe for 12 years. It’s amazing we’ve achieved this and there is justice for the most vulnerable people in South Australia.”