Child rapist Stephen White to be released from prison despite recent parole breach
A man who raped and tried to kill a five-year-old girl in Western Australia's far north in 2001, and recently attacked a support worker while on parole following his 22-year jail term, is set to be released into the community again.
Stephen Neil White sent shock waves through the Kimberley community in 2001 after abducting and attacking a young girl while on a camping trip.
On June 18, 2001, White befriended the girl's guardian and dragged the child away from a campsite in Kununurra before raping her.
He also inflicted a life-threatening injury to the child by striking her over the head with a rock before taking her to the hospital.
White spent almost 22 years in prison for the attack and was released in December 2023 on a three-year supervision order.
Then in June 2024 he attacked a disability support worker with a knife and was subsequently arrested and sent back to prison.
His offending in WA followed an eight-year prison sentence in South Australia after he raped a 73-year-old woman while in his twenties.
On Monday a Supreme Court justice decided to release White from prison under strict supervision, with the 59-year-old agreeing to abide by 67 conditions.
Justice Fiona Seaward determined the risk of reoffending could be managed by stringent management of White's life which will involve 24-hour NDIS supervision, seven days a week.
The court heard White had an NDIS plan valued at more than $800,000 per year to support his intellectual disabilities.
As part of his release White must regularly report to police, abide by a curfew, not consume alcohol and not engage with children.
He must reside at a specific address, not leave Western Australia, comply with rehabilitation programs and not attend public events where children may be present.
Justice Seaward's decision to release White was informed by a psychiatric report which detailed his history of schizophrenia, an intellectual disability, and an acquired brain injury.
The report found White had made progress over recent years while incarcerated but remained "at a high risk of serious sexual reoffending" if not subjected to supervision conditions.
"Mr White's primary risk for sexual offending would be both predatory and opportunistic towards predominantly vulnerable females of various ages," the report reads.
"Warning signs of reoffending would include his relapse into alcohol and cannabis use and disengagement from his therapists and supervising agencies."
However, the report found White's risk of reoffending could be managed if he was released on a strict supervision order.
In opting to release White, Justice Seaward said she had "formed the view the supervision order will ensure adequate protection of the community."
"In reaching this conclusion I am also satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Mr White will substantially comply with the standard conditions of the supervision order," she said.
White will be under a supervision order until December 2026.
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