Bilal Skaf

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Bilal Skaf, orchestrator of the Sydney gang rapes

Bilal Skaf (born 14 September 1981) is a serial gang rapist. The leader of the group of men who carried out three of the Sydney gang rapes rape attacks that terrorised Sydney in 2000.

For his crimes he is serving a 28-year prison sentence, with a non-parole period of 22 years. (He was originally sentenced to 55-years with a 40-year non-parole period, but that was reduced upon appeal -- see below.) He commenced his sentence in Sydney's Long Bay Correctional Centre, but was soon moved to maximum security in Goulburn Gaol after prison wardens uncovered plans by fellow inmates to inject him with HIV infected blood.

He is the brother of Mohammed Skaf, also a gang rape attacker serving 32 years jail for his part in the attacks. Bilal and Mohammed are the sons of Mustapha Skaf and Baria Skaf who immigrated to Australia from Lebanon.

Mustapha worked for State Rail in Sydney, gaining a good reputation among his colleagues. It was through his father's reputation that Skaf also found work for State Rail despite having left school at age 14 and gaining convictions for shoplifting and theft.

Skaf was engaged at the time of his arrest but although his fiancée stood by him during his trial, she ended their engagement soon after his conviction. Skaf's response was to sketch cartoons depicting his former fiancée being raped and murdered. Since he was first charged in November 2000, Skaf has remained unrepentant. During his trial he claimed he was involved only in cases of consensual sex, laughed when his verdict was read and swore at the judge when he received his sentence.

In jail he has made threats to commit acts of terrorism and was also responsible for a white powder laced letter to the NSW Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham.

On September 16 2005, the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal reduced Skaf's 55 year sentence to a maximum of 28 years, with parole available after 22 years. The NSW Attorney-General Bob Debus, decided that the government would seek leave for an appeal to the High Court of Australia against the sentence reduction. An earlier appeal had already reduced his sentence to 46 years, after a successful appeal against one of his convictions. He is currently awaiting retrial on that count.

On February 3 2006 the High Court refused leave to appeal, arguing that the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal had been left with no choice because of the many errors by the trial judge in sentencing Skaf to 46 years. This means Skaf could be freed at the age of 41 in 2023.

References

• Free by 41 - rape gang leader's shrinking sentence [link] 4 February 2006
• Sentence slashed: gang rapes not 'worst category [link] 16 September 2005
• Rapist's loving family: Where did we fail our son? [link] 8 September 2002
• Shattered fiancee stands by her 55-year man [link] 14 September 2002
• Skaf lampoons gang rape [link] 20 July 2003
• Rapist out of sight but not out of mind [link] 2 August 2003

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