One of the victims of notorious Queensland sex offender Robert John Fardon says she's looking forward to a good night's sleep knowing he won't be allowed to roam unsupervised in the community.
Fardon's strict supervision order was due to run out on Wednesday night, but a last-ditch appeal by the state attorney-general succeeded.
The decision means the 69-year-old will continue to be monitored under the Dangerous Prisoner (Sex Offender) Order at least until a fresh hearing to argue for an extension.
Fardon assaulted several young girls back to the 1960s, including Sharon Tomlinson, who was raped by Fardon at gunpoint when she was 12.
She has since become a campaigner for sexual offenders to be kept behind bars, and welcomed the decision to continue his monitoring.
"I feel like finally our voices are being heard, my voice is being heard, I've been campaigning around this for 15 years," Ms Tomlinson said.
"The judicial system is starting to realise that it's not acceptable to continue to release sex offenders back into the community, a low risk is too much of a risk."
Three appeal court judges acknowledged Fardon had not put a foot wrong since he had been under his current supervision order, first imposed in 2013, and that he was nearly 70 years old and in ill health.
Regardless, they found the risk of him reoffending if he wasn't monitored was too great and ongoing management was needed.
Ms Tomlinson said she believed the only reason Fardon hadn't reoffended was because of the strict monitoring, and she firmly believes he will offend again if allowed to be in the community unsupervised.
She praised Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath for her efforts to appeal the decision, and the government's move to introduce laws to automatically monitor offenders like Fardon if their supervision orders are ever dropped by the courts.
"I do believe there is more that can be done, but the outcome (on Wednesday) has given me hope," she said.
"I will sleep well tonight."
Australian Associated Press
