Convicted rapist Peter Van de Wetering is set to be released from jail after nine years
A man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a German backpacker is a “high” risk of reoffending, a court was told.
A rapist who kidnapped, drugged and raped a German backpacker is a “high” risk of reoffending if released from jail, key experts have told a court.
The Queensland Attorney-General is urgently trying to stop Peter John Van de Wetering from being released from jail on October 6 this year.
Van de Wetering was jailed for nine years in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to several violent offences, including kidnapping, rape, and administering a stupefying drug.
He was also declared a serious violent offender for committing the offences that easily could have been stolen from the script of Wolf Creek.
Van de Wetering had kidnapped, drugged and raped a then 19-year-old German backpacker who had travelled to become a nanny on a farm outside Stanthorpe, Queensland in August 2013.
The woman had responded to an ad published by Van de Wetering using a false name.
Van de Wetering collected the woman from Cottonvale bus stop while wearing a wig, fake beard and fake moustache.
During their drive back to the rural property, Van de Wetering offered the woman some chocolate which she secretly spat out because of its taste.
The chocolate had been drugged in an attempt to stupefy the woman.
When the pair arrived an abandoned shearer’s shed, Van de Wetering tied the woman’s hands together before tying her to a bed.
She was then forced fed to eat more of the drugged chocolate.
The woman quickly became unconscious after eating the chocolate.
Hours later, she woke up alone on the side of the road and called her sister in Germany who alerted police.
Van de Wetering was arrested more than a year later in Sydney in October 2014.
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath launched a Supreme Court bid earlier this year to keep Van de Wetering behind bars after his sentence ends on October 6.
The application also would accept Van de Wetering being placed under a conditional supervision order that may include electronic monitoring if he’s released.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Karen Brown told a Brisbane court on Monday she had found Van de Wetering would be a “high” risk if he was released from custody without any proper supervision or treatment.
The court was told Van de Wetering, who has been in jail for nine years, has failed to undergo any sexual offender prevention programs or education.
Dr Brown said while the “use of a supervision order will reduce that risk” she held concerns Van de Wetering would reoffend once released.
“He hasn’t actually had any successful treatment and that’s of concern when you’re looking at risk management in the long term,” Dr Brown said.
“Overtime my concern is that supervision will be relaxed and that will open a pathway for him to offend and I have concerns that with the absence of treatment that risk will not be able to be properly monitored.”
Dr Brown told the court Van de Wetering had given her an “illogical narrative” about the reasons he raped the German backpacker.
The court heard that several experts had been told varying reasons by Van de Wetering why he committed the heinous crime that could be the script of a horror movie.
His reasonings ranged from deterring backpackers visiting Australia to simply a way to get some money, the court was told.
“He might say he’s going to participate (in a sexual offender rehabilitation program), he may say he’s going to participate then drop out,” she said.
“It’s very difficult to rely on that particularly in a man whose told me in relation to the offending a narrative I just can’t accept.
“I find then relying on his assurances are troubling.
“Other than being older, there’s really no other change and I don’t understand what drove the offending in the first place but I know it was planned and driven with a considerable amount of deceit and I think could happen again.”
The application is relying on evidence given by two forensic psychiatrists, who both recommended against his release because of his high risk of reoffending.
Psychiatrist Dr Michael Beech said if Van de Wetering was to participate in the sexual offenders program then his risk at reoffending in the community would be reduced.
“It’s very hard to get down to low risk, the evidence I can see is that supervision would reduce the risk to five (per cent) or below, it’s below average,” Dr Beech said.
“But if he’s going to reoffend, I don’t think it’s going to be a trivial sexual offence, I think it’s going to be a serious sexual offence.”
Dr Beech said he hadn’t diagnosed Van de Wetering with sexual deviant tendencies but stated he had been “motivated by sexual intent” after spending four months planning the 2013 rape.
The court heard both experts had been made aware of similar charges which Van de Wetering was never convicted of.
Van de Wetering had previously been tried in 2015 over an alleged 2007 drugging and rape of a woman from the UK who was backpacking Australia.
The 2015 trial resulted in a hung jury and Van de Wetering was also found not guilty of using a stupefying drug.
Van de Wetering’s barrister, Carl Tessmann, had filed written objections to the court concerning the psychiatrists’ reports.
Both Dr Beech and Dr Brown said while they were aware of the 2007 charges, their professional opinion Van de Wetering was a risk if released had not changed given his lack of rehabilitation.
But after hearing the expert witness on Monday, Mr Tessmann said he won’t be further contesting that their reports were influenced by the 2007 charges.
The application was adjourend part-heard to Friday.
The Attorney-General has the right to apply to the courts under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 to keep certain people locked up if they’re found to be a risk to society.
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