Child rapist who tried to murder five-year-old girl granted release
Stephen Neil White, 59, was jailed in 2001 after he dragged the young girl into bushland in the Western Australian town of Kununurra, struck her on the head with a rock, tied a rope around her neck until she lost consciousness, and raped her.
At the time, the then 35-year-old was in a relationship with a woman who had brought along her two young cousins, whom she was caring for, on a camping trip with him on June 18, 2001.
White later took the girl to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but fled the scene once she began receiving treatment, prompting a large-scale manhunt.
He was eventually arrested and charged with attempted murder and rape, receiving a 17-year prison sentence.
He was also handed an additional 16-month term for knocking the woman unconscious in the tent before dragging away the child.
In 2013, a continuing detention order was imposed to keep him behind bars beyond his original sentence.
Ultimately, White spent almost 22 years in prison before being deemed suitable for release in November 2023.
He was placed on a three-year community supervision order and allocated more than $800,000 worth of NDIS support for one year.
He reportedly told his lawyer he wanted to go back to prison. A WA Supreme Court justice ordered White's release under a strict supervision order. Credit: Richard Wainwright / AAP Image
White has spent the majority of his adult life behind bars.
In 1984, when he was in his twenties, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a 73-year-old woman in her South Australian home.
That offence came a year after he indecently assaulted a girl under the age of 16.
While on bail, he also attempted to sexually assault another woman, reportedly using a knife to subdue her.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered White's release once again, and this time under 67 strict conditions.
Under the supervision order, White will be monitored around the clock and receive intensive support through an NDIS plan valued at more than $800,000 a year, due to his intellectual disabilities.
He must report regularly to police, abide by a curfew, refrain from consuming alcohol, and have no contact with children.
He is also required to live at a designated address, remain within Western Australia, engage in rehabilitation programs, and avoid public events where children may be present.
The decision to release White was informed by a psychiatric report presented to the court.
White, who has an acquired brain injury and an IQ of 62, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder.
The psychiatrist concluded that White is highly institutionalised and lacks the capacity to form meaningful relationships.
However, the report said he had made progress in recent years while in custody and could be managed in the community under strict supervision.
White will remain under the supervision order until December 2026.
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