Australia: Only two years for a string of vicious rapes?

Lots of women will suffer because of this irresponsible sentencing decision

A sex predator who terrorised a north Queensland town was jailed last week after a five-year merry-go-round of court appearances, trials and appeals. Serial rapist Daniel Cris Phillips, 23, was 16 when he committed his first rape in 2000 in Innisfail where he lived with his family, who run one of Australia's largest barramundi farms.

His predatory behaviour did not come to light until November 2001, when a girl, 15, told police he had raped her in a vacant farmhouse on one of his parents' Innisfail properties. After investigating the attack, police said he had allegedly raped four other teenage girls. Phillips, whose appearance earned him the nickname of "Caveman" or "Cavie", was charged with five counts of rape in September 2002 and, despite objections, was released on bail a month later.

While on bail in May 2003, Phillips allegedly attempted to rape an 18-year-old girl at his parents' home at Burbank in Brisbane. The woman, now 22, told The Sunday Mail: "I had no idea he was on bail for rape. "(After) I got very antisocial ... I stopped eating and looking after myself ... everyone I met was a potential rapist." Phillips' mother stopped the alleged attack. He was charged with attempted rape and was returned to custody awaiting trial for it and the Innisfail rapes.

In August 2003, despite objections from prosecutors, the Cairns Supreme Court released him on conditional bail. In March 2004 he was convicted of three counts of rape, assault with intent to rape and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge. He was acquitted of two other sex offence charges, but jailed for a total of 12 years, reduced to 10 years on appeal. Judge Peter White said Phillips showed "callous disregard for the rights of the young women, going to the absolute integrity of their persons".

Former detective Sean Luke, who resigned last year after more than 20 years in the police force, said Phillips might have ended up killing his victims if he had not been stopped. "He never believed he did anything wrong, never showed any remorse for what he did to those girls. And then when he was released on bail, he raped again. Nothing seemed to stop him," said Mr Luke.

In March 2006, Phillips appealed to the High Court of Australia, which ordered retrials for the six charges, relating to five victims, on which he had been convicted. Three of his alleged victims decided against going through the court process again. In May 2006, while on bail waiting for the retrials, Phillips raped a 16-year-old girl twice at his family's Burbank home. In the Rockhampton District Court last week, Phillips pleaded guilty to that rape.

He also received a sentence for the 2000 rape of a 16-year-old girl at his family's property in Innisfail. A jury found him guilty of that attack this year.

Judge Michael Shanahan said it was clear both women had suffered "significant difficulties" as a result of the rapes. In sentencing Phillips to six years' jail, Judge Shanahan said he took into account a psychiatric report which said Phillips had suffered from a genetic disorder from birth which had a "psychological and physical impact". "You have seemed. to have come to some realisation of the seriousness of your conduct and are perhaps showing some signs of remorse."

Phillips will be eligible to apply for parole in August 2009.

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