Nurse slams rapist's jail sentence
18.08.2010



By: Tony Koch, Sarah Elks

THE 30-year-old nurse victim of a violent rape on Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait two years ago has criticised the six-year sentence the perpetrator received and the judge's recommendation that he be eligible for immediate parole.
Dennis William Kris, 26, pleaded guilty in the Cairns District Court on Monday to rape, unlawfully entering a dwelling to commit an indictable offence and unlawfully entering a dwelling at night with intent.
Judge William Everson sentenced Kris to six years' jail on the first count, and three years and one year on the other two, to be served concurrently, but ordered that as Kris had spent 785 days in pre-sentence custody, he could apply for immediate parole.
The victim's partner yesterday told The Australian that the sentences should have been cumulative and that it was wrong for him to be allowed out of prison having served much less than three years.
``And what message does this send to the thousands of young women who work in remote parts of Australia -- that they can have their quarters broken into and they can be violently raped and the perpetrator gets off after serving less than three years in a remand prison,'' he said.
``Has he been rehabilitated? The prosecutor told the judge on Monday that he had even re-offended while on bail for this charge.''
The nurse victim has not been able to work since the attack and is seeking civil damages from her employer, the Queensland government.
When it was revealed that the nurse had been raped, the Bligh government faced enormous criticism for not providing safe accommodation for the thousands of single women teachers, nurses and other public servants around Queensland.
Millions of dollars were pledged to bring facilities up to scratch, but on many island and other remote communities, nurses have since refused to stay overnight and instead have to be flown in and out on the days they operate medical clinics.
Kris's mother worked at the medical centre on Mabuiag, and he stole keys to the centre and sleeping quarters from her briefcase, let himself into the facility late at night, and attacked the sleeping woman.
He and several mates then stayed outside the facility until daylight, calling out to and mocking the victim. He had disabled her telephone while he was in the building so she could not call for assistance.
When the nurse victim called her Queensland Health superiors on Thursday Island the morning after the assault, she was told to ``put it behind you and get back to work''.
The nurse left the island that day to seek medical help and her pay was immediately stopped by the department, and only reinstated when the details were published in The Australian.