Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A victim of the Bulli rapist who mounted a public campaign to have Terry John Williamson placed under supervision for the rest of his life has received a massive response on online petition site change.org.
The woman, now 38, told her horrific story in the Mercury on Tuesday, in the hope that the Illawarra would rally behind her to keep the Bulli rapist monitored by Corrective Services.
Williamson's maximum 24-year sentence expired last week. Further supervision would require him to wear a tracking device, take anti-libidinal drugs and comply with other strict conditions.
Through a link on the Mercury's website, almost 1000 people had signed the victim's petition on change.org by Tuesday night, calling on a lifetime supervision order for Williamson.
Earlier this month, a 28-day interim order was made by the NSW Supreme Court and the matter will be considered in June. But the court only has the power to make an order for five years at a time.
In an interview with the Mercury, the woman, who was 13 when she became Williamson's first victim, said she was fearful the sexual predator would one day find her and seek revenge. Since he was released on parole two years ago, she has slept with the lights on and has bought a dog for protection.
She drinks alcohol each day to help her cope with the flashbacks and nightmares, and has an eating disorder. She believed the Bulli rapist had shown no remorse for his crimes and feared he would rape again if allowed to walk free in the community.
Williamson terrorised the Illawarra for 10 months with a series of brutal attacks against 11 victims, including a five-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy in 1989 and 1990.
He used a scanner to avoid police and relished the notoriety and fear that his perverted deeds caused the community. He carefully planned his attacks and would lie in wait for his victims.
He wore gloves and a black balaclava over his head to prevent his victims identifying him.
He also watched the television program Australia's Most Wanted for tips about escape and said his technique improved with each attack.
On one occasion, Williamson, frustrated that a more suitable victim had not crossed his path, kidnapped an 11-year-old boy from his Bulli home while his parents slept and abandoned him in bushland near Mount Kembla after assaulting him.
To support the Bulli rapist's first victim in her campaign to have Terry John Williamson placed under supervision for the remainder of his life click here.
Related stories: