Parole for sickening Kalumburu assault ‘frightening’: Thomson

Liberal MLC Neil Thomson says the possibility a Kalumburu man guilty of a horrific assault against a local teacher — which left her in intensive care and with lifelong trauma — could walk free less than three years after the incident is “frightening”. Adrian French, who has been in custody since 2020, was sentenced on Thursday, July 7 to 3½ years prison for the assault and indecent assault of a Kalumburu school teacher that left the victim with bleeding on the brain and facial paralysis. But by the time French had been sentenced earlier this month for the 2020 assault, he was eligible for parole, having already served the minimum 21 months to be considered by the Prisoner Review Board. “It is frightening to think that the offender is now eligible for parole when he is sentenced, for what was a vile offence against a person who was committed to assisting his community,’ Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Neil Thomson said. “Workplace safety — particularly for women — has been highlighted in the mining sector recently, and the focus should be no different for both the departments of Health and Education, for people in remote communities.” Mr Thomson said the circumstances of the “heinous” assault at Kalumburu were extremely disturbing but unsurprising. “Alcohol-fuelled violence, including in this case, sexual violence, has become all too prevalent in our remote towns and communities and this appears to be met with resignation by the Government,” he said. “The data shows a massive increase in crimes against persons in the Kimberley and this is compounding the disadvantage because it is increasingly difficult to attract much needed education and health professionals to our region . . . we need a much more intensive approach by all levels of leadership in our community.” But Kalumburu chief executive Madeline Gallagher-Dann said French’s behaviour was not emblematic of the people of Kalumburu and that those serving sentences are not allowed back in community until they have done their time. “Kalumburu is a tight community, we care about everyone and their wellbeing, regardless of if you’re a local or just a worker and just because things go wrong at times, it does not define Kalumburu or its people,” she said. Department of Education acting director general Jim Bell said the department was shocked at the severity of the incident. “The Department of Education worked to support the teacher involved throughout this difficult ordeal, and I am pleased she has made a good recovery,” he said. “The teacher should be commended for her strength, courage and resilience in the way that she dealt with this incident.” A State Government spokesperson said the “awful” assault never should have occurred and that the safety and wellbeing of teachers, wherever they work and live, is paramount. “The (Education) Department has been working closely with WA Police and other agencies to bolster the safety measures in place for school staff,” they said. The spokesperson said the Education Department had been working to upgrade security at teacher accommodation.