Bilal Skaf

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Bilal Skaf
Skaf's mugshot, December 2000
Born (1981-09-14) 14 September 1981 (age 42)
Sydney, New South Wales[1]
NationalityAustralian Lebanese
Other namesElie Skaf
OccupationState Rail employee
Known forSydney gang rapes
Criminal statusImprisoned
ChildrenElias Skaf
Parent(s)Mustapha Skaf
Baria Skaf
RelativesMohammed Skaf (brother)
Conviction(s)Aggravated sexual intercourse without consent
Criminal penalty31 years' imprisonment

Bilal Skaf (Arabic: بلال سكاف) (born 14 September 1981) is a serial gang rapist who led groups of Lebanese-Australian men to commit gang rape attacks against women and girls in Sydney in 2000.

For his crimes, Skaf is serving a 31-year prison sentence with a non-parole period of 28 years, and will be eligible for parole in 2033. He was originally sentenced to 55 years with a 40-year non-parole period,[1] but that was modified several times upon appeal.[2][3]

Early life[edit]

Skaf's mother Baria worked as a cleaner and aged care worker, and his father Mustapha worked for State Rail in Sydney, gaining a good reputation among his colleagues.[4] Bilal attended Strathfield South High School in Enfield, New South Wales and left school at 14 and worked as a spray painter before his father used his own good employment record to get his son on the State Rail payroll.[5] This is despite Bilal having gained convictions for shoplifting, theft and carjackings.[6]

Gang rapes[edit]

Main article: Sydney gang rapes

In 2000, Bilal Skaf led a gang that engaged in a series of gang rapes in Sydney against women and girls as young as 14 years. In 2002, nine men, including Skaf, were sentenced to a total of more than 240 years' jail.

Skaf was engaged at the time of his arrest and although his fiancée stood by him during his trial,[7] she ended their engagement soon after his conviction. Skaf's response was to sketch cartoons depicting his former fiancée being raped and murdered.[1] 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.[citation needed]

On 16 September 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.[8] 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.[8]

On 3 February 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.[2] That meant he could be freed at the age of 42 in 2023.[9] A further appeal led to a 31-year sentence being imposed.[3] Skaf will now be eligible for release on 11 February 2033.[10]

Family[edit]

Bilal Skaf is the brother of Mohammed Skaf, also a gang rape attacker sentenced to 32 years' jail for his part in the attacks.[11] Bilal and Mohammed are the sons of Mustapha and Baria Skaf, who emigrated to Australia from Lebanon in the 1970s.[4]

In 2019, his brother Mohammed Skaf began his application for release to parole where Margaret Cunneen SC, who prosecuted the men together with their lawyer Omar Juweinat urged that he be granted parole.[12]

Prison life[edit]

Bilal Skaf began his sentence in Sydney's Long Bay Correctional Centre but was soon moved to maximum security in Goulburn Gaol after prison officers uncovered plans by fellow inmates to inject him with HIV-infected blood.

In March 2003, he was charged with writing a threatening letter to Corrective Services Commissioner, Ron Woodham.[1] The letter had been found in an internal prison mailbox. The letter said: "Don't take this as a threat but if all Muslims aren't released by January 2003 Australia and citizens will be in danger of bombing". White powder had been put into the letter.[1]

While awaiting a court appearance for the letter incident, in July 2003, drawings of gang rape were discovered in Skaf's prison cell. The drawings depicted violence and rape against his former fiancée, who had ended their relationship in March 2003. After she had cut all ties with Skaf, she was subjected to threatening phone calls and letters. She now says he can "rot in hell".[13][14]

According to prison guards, Skaf thought that he would be given a hero's welcome by Lebanese inmates such as the gangland murderer Michael Kanaan. Instead, he was targeted by them for bringing disgrace to their community.[15]

According to Commissioner Woodham, Skaf has not shown remorse for his crimes. He also says Skaf has warned prison officers to be careful outside of work, as they may be shot.[13]

In April 2015, Skaf was attacked by two other inmates in jail and sustained "serious facial injuries".[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Gang rapist's horror drawings of girlfriend The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 July 2003
  2. ^ a b Pelly, Michael (4 February 2006). "Free by 41 - rape gang leader's shrinking sentence". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b Wallace, Natasha (28 July 2006). "Gang rapists re-sentenced". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b Sutton, Candace; Duff, Eamonn (8 September 2002). "Rapist's loving family: Where did we fail our son?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Rapist's loving family: Where did we fail our son?". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 2002. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  6. ^ Finnane, Justice Michael (15 August 2002). "Sentencing of Bilal Skaf". 4 Corners. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  7. ^ "Shattered fiancee stands by her 55-year man". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 September 2002. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Sentence slashed: gang rapes not 'worst category'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 2005.
  9. ^ Pelly, Michael (17 September 2005). "Judges under fire on gang rapists' sentences". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  10. ^ "Gang rapist Skaf's sentence extended". ABC News. Australia. 28 July 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  11. ^ Crichton, Sarah (11 October 2002). "Puny brother a cowardly bully". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  12. ^ Rawsthorne, Sally (29 June 2019). "Gang rapist Mohammed Skaf: His life behind bars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  13. ^ a b Gibbs, Stephen (2 August 2003). "Rapist out of sight but not out of mind". The Age. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  14. ^ "Skaf lampoons gang rape". The Sunday Age. Australian Associated Press. 20 July 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  15. ^ Phelps, James (28 July 2014). "Long Bay guards dished out jailhouse justice to 'smart-arse' rapist Bilal Skaf and 'scumbag' paedophile Dennis Ferguson". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via The Sunday Telegraph.
  16. ^ Oliver, Peter (18 November 2015). "Prisoner sentenced for bashing Bilal Skaf". Goulburn Post. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
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