A serial rapist who committed a violent sexual assault alongside a Melbourne creek just months after being released from prison was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
On the evening of December 3, 2019, as Joel Russo’s victim was strolling along Merri Creek in Melbourne’s inner north, she was attacked from behind.
The County Court heard the 26-year-old woman was dragged into the creek and repeatedly raped by Russo, who held her head under the water and threatened to kill her during the attack.
He said to the woman, “I’ll let you live if you let me f*** you.
Later, he apologized to her for raping her. Have I not damaged your life?
The woman was able to call for help at a nearby fast food restaurant after she managed to escape when the pair left the creek.
After attempting to rob a nearby service station, Russo was captured a few hours later.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was traumatised by the incident and suffered from post-traumatic stress, depression and was hypervigilant when out in public.
Locals were shocked by the egregious crime, which sparked a subsequent public march of solidarity.
The popular stream walk has received several calls for safety improvements and greater illumination, but few of these requests, in the opinion of many locals, have been heeded.
Judge Liz Gaynor of County Court previously referred to the offense as “every woman’s worst nightmare” before describing it as a “horrendous sexual attack” on Tuesday.
In her remarks at the sentencing hearing, she described the crime as “predatory, persistent, highly violent, terrifying, and prolonged.”
The judge claimed that Russo, 29, who has an intellectual disability and a history of abuse, committed a similar crime in 2015 when he sexually assaulted a teenager close to a park.
He had only recently been released from prison when he committed the Merri Creek attack.
Judge Gaynor said there had been a “dreadful oversight” by authorities who released Russo into the community after the first rape.
She claimed that he had not fully comprehended the sex offender course he had taken in jail and had not received adequate treatment for his drug and mental health problems.
Given that Russo would undoubtedly be released and present a serious risk to women once more, the judge emphasized the importance of providing him with the proper care while he was in custody.
“The objective threat you present to women generally cannot be underestimated, regardless of how dreadful your upbringing, regardless of how pitiful the circumstances of your birth,” she said.
Russo was given a 20 year and 4 month prison term with a 17 year non-parole period by Judge Gaynor.
About three and a half years of that sentence have already been completed by him.
He entered a plea of guilty to a long list of charges, including rape, sexual assault, careless behavior resulting in serious injury, attempted robbery and theft, use of a weapon while carrying out a crime, causing criminal damage, and violating the terms of his bail.
Russo watched the sentencing hearing from prison via video link, and at times appeared emotional as details of his troubled upbringing were read out in court.
