Fired prison psychologist marries notorious child rapist she was hired to rehabilitate
A prison psychologist who was reportedly struck off for starting a relationship with a convicted gang rapist has married another member of the Skaf child rape gang and moved him in to her parent’s Sydney home, according to Fairfax Media.
Joanne Natalie Senior, 36, made headlines when she started a "completely out of character" relationship with a member of the notorious gang that raped teenagers across Sydney in 2000.
The experienced psychologist was suspended from working in Corrective Services and subsequently disqualified from practicing psychology in 2015 after admitting to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal that she entered into relationship with one of the rapists, who is referred to only as H.
However, further investigation has found that she is now married to another member of the gang, has taken his last name and even converted to Islam, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Her 32-year-old husband, who can only be identified as M, was released from Parklea prison in 2013 where he reportedly met his psychologist wife during her 10-year career. It is believed they married shortly after.
His identity remains suppressed as he was only 17 years old when he raped two teenage girls in 2000.
He was one of nine teens and men responsible for a string of gruesome gang rapes led by Bilal Skaf, acts that a judge at the time described to be “worse than murder”.
Parole officers demanded to know the name of his bride to determine if she was an “appropriate” partner and whether any children in her care were at risk, which would contravene M’s Child Sex Offenders Registry requirements.
Despite authorities’ skepticism and internal intelligence suspecting his new wife was in fact Ms Senior, they did not believe their relationship warranted revoking of his parole.
An inside source told Fairfax Media that their relationship resembled a much bigger issue within the parole industry, describing it as ineffective, inept and ill-equipped to supervise criminals.
"The parole officers have no clue how to manage these guys – little to no training, no experience and some just don't care much," the unnamed source said.
It is believed both H and M were members of an intensive sex offenders’ program led by Ms Senior and the relationship with H eventually led to phone sex.
When the Health Care Complaints Commission struck off Ms Senior in 2015, she claimed at the time her actions were a result of exhaustion and depression and were “completely out of character”.
"This has led to what I can only describe as being self-defeating and compromising behaviour, and that such actions on my part are completely out of character," she said.
In describing her actions, she failed to acknowledge that she had started a new life with a member of the same reprehensible gang.
Adults Surviving Child Abuse: 1300 657 380
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