Bilal Skaf
Skaf's mugshot, December 2000
Born (1981-09-14) 14 September 1981
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

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

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.

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

Bilal Skaf is the brother of Mohammed Skaf, also a gang rape attacker serving 12 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 2002, Mustapha Skaf was accused of offering a bribe to a prison officer.[1] He allegedly phoned the maximum security facility at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, 22 September 2002, and was put through to a duty officer. Mustapha gave his name and telephone number and asked to speak to his son, Bilal. When the officer told him that outside calls had to be booked in advance and approved for set times, Mustapha offered to pay $100 to be put through to his son. The officer dismissed the offer and ended the conversation. He immediately called the number from the calling number display and Mustapha Skaf answered.[12]

In September 2002, Bilal's mother, Baria, was caught on video attempting to smuggle a letter (to his then-fiancée) out of the prison. She was barred from visiting all NSW jails for a period of two years.[12]

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.[13]

In October 2020, his younger brother Hadi Skaf, who was 10 months old at the time of the attacks, was charged with driving under the influence of cocaine.[14] Again in June 2021, Hadi Skaf was charged with allegedly supplying drugs (cocaine) and dealing with proceeds of crime.[15]

In November 2022, the Skaf family home in Greenacre was shot up by an unknown gunman. No one was injured but it is believed that Hadi Skaf was the target of the shooting due to his alleged planned involvement in a kidnapping plot, for which he was charged by the police and given bail. A few days later, Hadi Skaf was once again jailed after breaching his bail conditions.[16][17]

Prison life

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".[18][19]

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.[20]

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.[18]

In April 2015, Skaf was attacked by two other inmates in jail and sustained "serious facial injuries".[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gang rapist's horror drawings of girlfriend The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 July 2003
  2. 1 2 Pelly, Michael (4 February 2006). "Free by 41 - rape gang leader's shrinking sentence". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. 1 2 Wallace, Natasha (28 July 2006). "Gang rapists re-sentenced". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  4. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "Gang rapist's father accused of offering bribe". Sun Herald. 22 September 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Rawsthorne, Sally (29 June 2019). "Gang rapist Mohammed Skaf: His life behind bars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Candace Sutton (28 October 2020). "Younger brother of gang rapists on cocaine charge". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Liam Mendes (18 June 2021). "Hadi Skaf charged with drug supply and dealing with proceeds of crime". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "Shots fired at the home of Hadi Skaf | 7NEWS". Retrieved 26 March 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ↑ "Hadi Skaf has his strict bail conditions revoked | 7NEWS". Retrieved 26 March 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  18. 1 2 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.
  19. ↑ "Skaf lampoons gang rape". The Sunday Age. Australian Associated Press. 20 July 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Oliver, Peter (18 November 2015). "Prisoner sentenced for bashing Bilal Skaf". Goulburn Post. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
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