One of the victims of notorious paedophile Michael Guider has broken her silence in a desperate bid to ensure he isn’t released from prison.
Guider, who was responsible for the death of Bondi school girl Samantha Knight in 1986, will soon be eligible for parole.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, the woman, known only as Chantelle (her last name withheld) was one of Guider’s last victims and has spoken publicly for the first time about her own terrifying ordeal, being drugged, molested and photographed by him when she was just six years old.
“He’s a predator, he’s a repeat offender,” she told the Channel Nine program.
“The only reason he hasn’t offended in the past 20 years is because he was locked safely behind bars. He can’t get out. I’ll do anything I can to keep him locked up.”
Chantelle, who also writes letters to the appeals board regarding Guider every year, hopes that breaking her silence it will help her bid to ensure he is never released.
“I know that he drugged us to make it easier for him to film things with us,” she recalled. “He would get us naked and … he’d (touch) and get us to touch each other.”
Guider had been serving a jail sentence for 75 separate child sex abuse charges when he admitted to another inmate, Frank Soonius who was serving an 11-year-sentence for drug trafficking, that he had kidnapped 11-year-old Samantha and drugged and molested her.
“He said that she woke up because she was in pain and said ‘Michael, what are you doing?’ so she recognised him. He gave her another drink with another tablet and she fell asleep again,” Soonius also told 60 Minutes.
Two hours later, “[Guider] said he found Sam laying on the couch and she was dead,” he added.
Both Soonius’ and Chantelle’s evidence became critical in convicting Guider over Samantha’s death.
In 2002 Guider pleaded guilty to manslaughter, claiming Samantha had died of an accidental overdose, and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, reports News.com.au.
“I could’ve easily been that child, and that’s just terrifying,” reflected Chantelle.
“Thank God it wasn’t me, and (it’s) horrible for Samantha and her family. That’s why he should never get out.
“It still hurts but I’ve got a good life now. I forgive him because I don’t want him in my life and me carrying around a hate towards him won’t let it go. I’ll do anything I can to keep him locked up.”
Samantha’s body has never been found
