Girl raped in children's hospital

April 06, 2008, Daily Telegraph:

Raouf Philopos sexually assaulted the girl for more than an hour as his six-year-old son slept and while nurses tended to patients in the ward at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

The 16-year-old victim was readmitted to the same hospital ward after turning to self-harm following the assault ...

Philopos was sentenced to a maximum 12 years' jail for the offence, which occurred in 2003. But it only came to light last week when his appeal was rejected in the Supreme Court ...

The court was told Philopos had been given permission by hospital staff to sit in a chair for the night to be with his young son, who was recovering from a severe asthma attack. In the next bed, divided by a drawn curtain, slept the victim. She was in hospital suffering depression and severe social phobia.

Philopos approached her and started massaging her shoulders and ran his hands to her lower back, waist and thighs. He then indecently assaulted and raped her. Because of the girl's illness she did not raise the alarm immediately, but later that day told her psychiatrist.

When interviewed by police, Philopos denied touching the woman, and said he spent the whole time looking after his sick son.

But at his trial he gave different versions and accused the victim of acting in a "very seductive way towards him''. Philopos' DNA was found on the victim's breast and semen samples found he could not be excluded as the source of the partial DNA profile. He was charged with six counts of indecent assault and rape.

He appealed on the grounds he was suffering a psychiatric condition at the time of the attack and was not fit to stand trial.

Philopos had emigrated to Australia from Egypt in 1993 and worked as a cleaner. His wife has filed for divorce.

How many victims of immigration does it take, Australia, before we stop immigration from the Middle East and other incompatible countries? Can you put a number on it, so we can then tell all these victims "yeah, sorry, that's the price of immigration Australia decided on and, unfortunately, your number came up. Sorry, kiddo, here have some more valium".

In the meantime, think twice before leaving someone alone overnight in a hospital.