Five years’ jail for man who raped teenage student

AN intellectually disabled man who raped a teenage girl in Caulfield East while on youth detention parole has been jailed for five years.

Melbourne Courts. County Court, Victoria. Building.

AN intellectually disabled man who raped a teenage girl in Caulfield East while on youth detention parole has been jailed for five years.

Joel Russo, 20, will spend at least three years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

He was sentenced in the Victorian County Court this morning on one count of rape and two counts of attempted armed robbery. He pleaded guilty.

The maximum sentence for rape is 25 years and 20 years for attempted armed robbery.

The court heard Russo was an ice user who had been released from youth justice parole just three days before he attacked the international student in broad daylight on July 24 last year.

County Court Judge Graeme Hicks told the court Russo was a repeat offender who had led a “tragic life” since the day his heroin-addicted mother gave birth to him.

Most of his adult life has been spent in and out of detention.

“You’ve had an horrific upbringing,’’ Judge Hicks told the court.

“You have a history of being released and reoffending.’’

He said Russo’s victim was still deeply traumatised.

Russo caught a train from Frankston to Caulfield on the morning of the attack and walked to Caulfield Plaza Shopping Centre where he loitered around the women’s toilets.

He then walked to Monash University Caulfield and entered women’s toilets there.

He moved on to Caulfield East Reserve, grabbed his victim from behind on a walking track and digitally raped her in a nearby car park.

He was supported in court by his girlfriend.