Vivian Deboo loses court appeal for home detention sentence, victims look to the future
The church leader who abused two brothers in the 1990s has lost his bid to spend his jail term in the comfort of home — and his victims say their fight is no longer about a “filthy old paedophile”.
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- Challenge: Predator Deboo files appeal for home detention
- Court reserves decision on fate of sex predator Deboo
- Stand for survivors: Masked brothers’ tribute to child abuse victims
CHILD sex predator Vivian Frederick Deboo has failed in his final bid for home detention, prompting the brave brothers who secured his conviction to declare their fight against the paedophile over.
But the masked Adelaide brothers, known as “A” and “B” say they will continue to fight for stronger laws against those who sexually abuse kids while raising awareness of how to prevent and react to it.
In a unanimous decision on Monday, the Full Court of the Court of Criminal Appeal rejected Deboo’s claim that he should be allowed to serve his penalty at home.
Justices Trish Kelly and Tim Stanley, and Acting Justice Michael David, said granting Deboo’s plea would “undermine public confidence in the administration of justice”.
“A suspended sentence was inappropriate in the circumstances,” they ruled.
“In (our) view, for very similar reasons, so too would be an order that the sentence be served on home detention.
“To do so would … undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.”
Outside court, B said their fight was no longer about a “filthy old paedophile called Vivian Deboo”.
“We are not here to talk about our story anymore, that’s a chapter that has closed,” he said.
“What we are here to talk about is the future and how we as a community, a state, a nation can better protect our children and lock up paedophiles who abuse kids.”
Deboo, 74, was a caterer and church leader when he sexually assaulted the brothers and other boys in the 1990s, falsely claiming their parents had sanctioned the abuse.
He was ordered to serve a six-year, seven-month and six-day prison term which left him ineligible for parole until 2024, at the age of 80.
Deboo filed a challenge asking the Full Court of the Court of Criminal Appeal to order that term be served on home detention instead, citing his age and early guilty plea.
The State Government responded with a Bill that banned paedophiles from serving home detention, which blocked the Opposition’s own draft legislation on the issue.
It said that, under the new law, Deboo would not qualify for home detention — but argued he also did not meet the test under the existing legislation and his appeal should be dismissed.
On Monday, B said he and his brother would continue their fight against child-sex predators in Australia.
“I believe in the future you will see more and more tougher penalties against child sex offenders,” he said.
“We would like to see child safety around sexual abuse built into the curriculum in primary schools in South Australia, as long as it is appropriately and sensitively done.
“And we would like to see mandatory, long jail terms for child sex offenders.”
B said he and his brother were satisfied with the court’s decision, as any reduction of Deboo’s sentence would “send a very dangerous message” to other potential sex offenders.
“From a personal perspective we are now glad that this is over,” he said.
“There are no more appeals, no more loopholes, Deboo is in jail he serves his sentence and we can begin to rebuild our lives.”