Victims of ‘playboy rapist’ Simon Monteiro, who abused multiple women across Sydney before being jailed for rape, have broken their silence in the lead up to his release.
Simon Lowe, who changed his name to Bonito Monteiro, has served nine-and-a-half years of a 12-year sentence for violently raping his then-girlfriend while holding scissors. His terrified victims say that if he’s released, as Fairfax Media reports, their lives will be in danger.
“Simon Monteiro, a man described in court as a dangerous and vindictive rapist, has provisionally been granted parole,” the Change.Org petition reads.
“We, as victims of Simon’s and advocates of rape victims, are urgently petitioning in the interests of the safety of women everywhere. The parole system needs to be reformed. Dangerous offenders should not be released.”
On the rape of his then-partner, during which he held scissors to prevent her escape, they say: “He smashed a pair of glasses on her face, pulled a clump of her hair out, threatened her with iron bars and told her he would ‘gut her dad like a fish’ if she ever went to the police.”
“He has previously been jailed for stalking and intimidating another partner, and for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and destroying property of another partner. He has been acquitted of other sexual and violent offences against women.”
“In custody, prison staff and psychologists have described him as being “belligerent, agitated, self-entitled, abusive”, demanding and refusing to accept responsibility for his actions.”
The husband of Jill Meagher, whose brutal murder in 2012 shook the country, has spoken out saying that if Monteiro is released he fears yet another young women will lose their life in the same horrific way.
“My wife was murdered in Melbourne by a parolee just like this unrepentant creep,” Tom wrote in the comments section of the petition. “I spoke personally with the Adult Parole Board of Victoria at the time warning them of the egregious mistake of putting serial sex offenders like him back out to terrorise women.”
“The entire justice system was complicit in the circumstances that led to Jill’s death. Let the man back out on the street and you’ll almost certainly see another headline like this one,” Tom finished linking to an article which calls his wife’s untimely murder ‘preventable.’
To sign the petition against Monteiro’s release, head here.
