Vic: "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" rapist to pay $1 million to victims

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2009
Vic: "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" rapist to pay $1 million to victims

By Michelle Draper

MELBOURNE, Dec 22 AAP - No amount of compensation will ease the pain of five victims
awarded more than $1 million after suffering at the hands of a sexual "Mr Hyde", a Supreme
Court judge says.

John Xydias was jailed for 28 years in June for drugging and raping 11 women over 15
years and filming the "depraved" attacks.

The assaults occurred at the home Xydias shared with his parents in the Melbourne suburb
of Glen Iris and at their holiday home in bayside Dromana.

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to 25 counts of rape and 61 charges of indecent assault.

Supreme Court of Victoria Chief Justice Marilyn Warren ordered on Tuesday that Xydias
pay five of the 11 victims a total of $1.08 million for pain and suffering.

In her written judgment Chief Justice Warren said that no amount of compensation could
ease the victims' physical and psychological pain.

"For each of the applicants, the grief and distress associated with the crime is greater
than the crimes themselves," she said.

"They have suffered horribly from the later discovery of what the respondent (Xydias)
did to them.

Chief Justice Warren said in most cases the victims learned of the "depraved sexual
abuse" only when police showed them the films of the women being sexually assaulted and
raped.

"The applicants knew the respondent as a `Dr Jekyll' but in the films saw him as a
hideous, sexual `Mr Hyde' abusing their bodies," she said.

"Commonsense and experience tells me that these women will likely suffer psychological
symptoms for most of their lives."

Chief Justice Warren said some of the five victims suffered from post-traumatic stress
disorder, others had attempted suicide or felt suicidal, while one woman had developed
anorexia and bulimia.

Several suffer nightmares and flashbacks.

One victim who was awarded the largest amount of $300,000 said the rapes were a "shattering
blow" which had "pushed her to the edge".

"I have contemplated taking my life on a number of occasions," the victim stated.

Another victim who said she felt violated and embarrassed was awarded $210,000 compensation.

A third victim who experiences anxiety attacks and nightmares said she sometimes wished
she did not know about the sex attacks.

She was awarded $150,000 compensation.

Another woman awarded $200,000 said she felt "dirty, ashamed, disgusted, angry and
violated" when she learned of the assaults.

A fifth victim was often asleep for days after being drugged by Xydias, who would dress
her up in his collection of women's underwear and sexually assault her.

The woman said the day she was shown films of herself being assaulted by Xydias was
the most "earth shatteringly horrible day in my life and my life has been turned completely
upside down since".

That victim was awarded $220,000.

Xydias, who must serve 20 years in jail before being eligible for parole, was also
ordered to pay the legal costs of the victims.

Chief Justice Warren said about $310,000 of Xydias's funds were being held by the State
of Victoria to pay compensation and victims would be paid on a pro rata basis.

AAP md/ldj/apm

KEYWORD: XYDIAS WRAP

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