Dentist who saved girl from alleged sex attack questions accused’s parole
A dentist who helped save a seven-year-old girl from a shocking sex attack at a Sydney dance studio says he was confronted with a ”horrible” scene when he entered the toilet where the girl was allegedly being assaulted.
NSW
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- Premier to leave ‘no stone unturned’
- Alleged sex attacker was on parole
- Rescuer says girl was the hero
A hero dentist who helped save a seven-year-old girl from a shocking sex attack has questioned why the alleged offender was out on parole.
Jeff Stack, 59, was at his Kogarah dentistry practice when he rushed next door to the aid of the girl who was allegedly being attacked by parolee Anthony Sampieri, 54, in the toilets of St George Dance Studio last Thursday night.
Stack, an amateur boxer, and Nicola “Nick” Gilio, 46, a parent whose daughter was having a dance lesson, punched Sampieri before knocking him out and ending the alleged attack.
Speaking at his practice on Monday in the wake of Corrective Services Minister David Elliott calling for an “urgent” briefing into the matter, Dr Stack became emotional when questioning why Sampieri was out on parole, saying “they obviously got it very, very wrong”.
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“The tragic circumstances are what they are — it’s most unfortunate,” he said.
“Understandably, it’s a very difficult balancing act that the professionals have to try and rehabilitate people, get them back into society, get them through parole — this whole process.
“I don’t know enough about it, but I imagine it’s just a nightmare for the people in that role and in this instance, they obviously got it very, very wrong.
“It needs to be addressed so that this can’t happen again obviously. Of course it will, they can’t get it right all the time. I respect the system and how it works.”
Sampieri, who was on parole after sexually assaulting a 60-year-old woman in 2012, allegedly stabbed Mr Gilio before he was subdued and police arrived at the building.
Dr Stack said he was confronted with a shocking scene when he entered the toilet.
“I was here when it all unfolded, so it was all very traumatic,” he said.
“It was a shocking experience, trust me. Look, the graphic, horrible details of the whole unfolding … that’s probably not something that needs to be expressed at the moment. It was just pretty horrible — seriously.”
Sampieri suffered injuries during the incident and was taken under police guard to St George Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
He is yet to be charged.
Dr Stack said it was a “contradiction” Sampieri was now receiving world-class medical care.
“The man’s currently as I understand it is in hospital and is being treated by the best facilities probably currently in NSW,” he said.
“We’ve just had a major tax payer funded reno of St George Hospital as you know. It’s world standard, top class. He’s getting the best treatment anybody could receive — there you go, what a contradiction in some ways. But that’s the way it is.”