The disturbing story of ‘master healer’ Joseph Luke Williams who sexually assaulted six women as young as 18

Lying naked on a rock in the sacred Porongurup National Park, the first of Joseph Luke Williams’ victims felt humiliated and uncomfortable as the 150kg man loomed over her. The self-proclaimed Noongar elder and “healer” from Denmark had gained her trust after she sought his expertise for help with fertility issues. Their interactions started out platonic, a teacher-student relationship centred on culture and bush medicine. But on this day in 2010, he raped her. As he did with five other women after her, Williams exploited her vulnerability, personal issues and trust for his own sexual gratification. Yesterday, the 58-year-old former tour operator was convicted of 11 counts of sexual penetration without consent and one count of indecent assault, with some of the offences involving penetration by rocks which he claimed had healing powers. Williams was in tears while the verdicts were delivered at Albany District Court, after the 11-person jury had deliberated for more than eight hours. The jury found him not guilty of one count of sexual penetration without consent and one count of indecent assault. The verdicts brought to a close a rigorous 11-day trial in which State prosecutor Beau Sertorio proved Williams assaulted six women between 2010 and 2014 in Denmark, Stirling Range National Park, Perth, and Broome. His victims were aged 18 to 34. During the first victim’s testimony, Williams smiled and laughed, drawing an angry rebuke from Judge Christopher Stevenson. “Witnesses can see your facial expressions, it is out of respect you sit there without any emotion and not react to what is said,” Mr Stevenson said. All six of his victims took the stand during the trial. Mr Sertorio drew on expert testimony from three female Great Southern Noongar elders, who slammed the sexual acts and said they were not part of Noongar culture. In a fiery and at time sarcastic closing statement on Tuesday, he said Williams must be the “unluckiest man in WA” to have six women wrongly accuse him of sexual offences. He framed the case as a confrontation between a manipulative sex offender whose claims of mutual sexual attraction were fantasy — and six women who were assaulted in a vulnerable phase of their life. He said Williams had portrayed himself as a “Casanova” throughout his evidence, with women “hounding him” and calling him a “sex guru”. “Clearly someone is lying,” Mr Sertorio told the jury. Defence lawyer Bruno Illari had argued that the sexual acts were either consensual, did not happen in the way the women claim, or did not happen at all. After the verdicts were handed down yesterday, Judge Christopher Stevenson told the court the women’s evidence was “compelling”. “The evidence was consistent with the State’s submission,” Mr Stevenson said. “There was a pattern of behaviour in Mr Williams with the similarities of the allegations. “Mr Williams was tapping into the vulnerabilities they shared with him.” Judge Stevenson said all six victims had been open to spiritual forms of healing. He pointed out that none of them were Indigenous. “If they were Indigenous they would have known that women’s business was women’s business,” he said. Outside the court, Detective Senior Constable Kylie Bell — the lead detective on the case — praised the victims for their strength. “I just want to say thank you to all the victims in relation to this case,” Det. Sen-Const. Bell said. “They were so strong and brave coming out, having to put themselves through everything they have for this matter. “I just take my hat off to them and also the prosecutors because they’ve done an amazing job.” Williams ran Denmark’s award-winning Poornarti Aboriginal Tours with his partner Catherine Mercer, who gave evidence during the trial as a witness for the defence. On the website of the now-defunct Poornarti Aboriginal Tours, Williams was described as an Aboriginal elder, cultural adviser and lore man, who had “mastered the ancient technique of vibrational healing passed onto him through his ancestral lineage”. “He has been a cultural educator and art lecturer at TAFE for nine years and has been instrumental in fusing the reconciliation process throughout communities in the region,” the website said. Williams has been remanded in custody until his sentencing hearing which is scheduled for May 3. HOW THE TRIAL UNFOLDED DAY ONE Disturbing details of the allegations against Williams are revealed for the first time. His first victim gives evidence. DAY TWO A second victim recounts how “the veil was lifted” when she was sexually penetrated with a rock in the Stirling Range National Park. DAY THREE The youngest victim, who was 18 at the time of the offending, tells the court Williams performed oral sex on her without her consent. DAY FOUR A Perth victim says she sought “mentorship” from Williams, before she was sexually penetrated with a rock. DAY FIVE Respected female Noongar elders tell the court the sexual acts were not traditional Noongar cultural practice, with one labelling them “disgusting”. DAY SIX Williams takes the stand on day six of his trial, denying the assault allegations and gave his version of events. DAY SEVEN State prosecutor Beau Sertorio mocks the idea that six “very beautiful women” would want to have sex with Williams, who weighed more than 150kg at the time. DAY EIGHT Williams’ girlfriend and three of his children give evidence as part of the defence case in an emotional day in court. DAY NINE Mr Sertorio tells Williams he must be the “unluckiest man in WA” to have six women wrongly accuse him of sexual offences in a fiery closing statement. DAY TEN After Judge Christopher Stevenson delivers a lengthy jury directions statement, the 11 jurors begin their eight-hour deliberations. DAY ELEVEN The jury finds Williams guilty of 12 of his 14 charges. He is remanded in custody with his sentencing hearing set for May 3.