The infamous North Shore Rapist, Graham James Kay, has a history of re-offending despite being subjected to extended supervision orders (ESO) designed to keep a close eye on dangerous offenders. In 2018, Kay breached his ESO by approaching a 16-year-old girl at a supermarket and kissing her on the cheek, leading to media publicity that exposed his identity. Despite this breach, the State of NSW asked Justice Stephen Rothman to put Kay on a second ESO in 2020. Even though the state removed the requirement for Kay to provide his schedule of movements in the new ESO, he was still required to wear an ankle monitor. The Herald successfully won a legal bid to identify Kay, but the judge suppressed his name due to concerns about negative media attention affecting his rehabilitation process.
In January 2022, Kay was caught stalking and sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building. CCTV footage captured him following the woman through shops, entering her building, and touching her genitalia. This traumatic event led to Kay being sentenced to two years and six months on appeal, with him being granted parole in September 2023. He was then placed on a third ESO in August of the same year, with details of the conditions only being revealed after a long-standing suppression order was lifted by the Herald. Kay attempted to resist wearing an ankle monitor as part of the new ESO conditions, but his survivors spoke out in court about the impact his attacks had on them since the late 1990s, leading to him losing on both counts.
One survivor recalled a terrifying encounter with Kay in 1997 where he threatened her life with a blade to her throat, expressing fear for her safety and emphasizing that Kay will never be rehabilitated. Another survivor stated that Kay will always pose a danger to the community, especially to young women, and urged the courts to implement harsher laws to protect the public. Experts testified in court that Kay continues to pose a high risk of sexual reoffending, with forensic psychologist Marcelo Rodriguez diagnosing him with a sexual sadism disorder and linking it to his offending behavior. Another psychologist, Michael Davis, indicated that Kay’s actions were driven by a need to reassure himself of his masculinity and coerce intimacy from his victims.
The survivors of Kay’s attacks expressed their concerns and emphasized the need for stricter measures to prevent further harm to the community. One survivor stressed the importance of prioritizing the safety of potential victims and urged the courts to take decisive actions to ensure Kay’s accountability and prevent future offenses. Experts highlighted the chronic and relapsing nature of Kay’s disorder, emphasizing the ongoing risk of reoffending and the need for constant monitoring to protect the public. Despite Kay’s attempts to avoid accountability and resist monitoring, his survivors and legal efforts by the Herald have shed light on the severity of his crimes and the need for stringent measures to address and prevent such behavior in the future.
