KATIE ACID THUG ‘TO GO FREE’
Strictly contestant’s attacker waits on parole hearing verdict
THE thug who scarred Strictly star Katie Piper in an acid attack could be freed within weeks.
Stefan Sylvestre, 30, jailed in 2009, is waiting on the result of a parole hearing.
Fellow survivor Adele Bellis, whose attacker was freed last year, said: “I know the turmoil she’s going through.”
KATIE Piper’s acid attacker could be released as early as next month, when she will be watched by millions making her debut on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Parole chiefs confirmed to the Daily Mirror a hearing has taken place to decide if thug Stefan Sylvestre, 30, is safe to be allowed back on the streets.
He was jailed in 2009 after throwing sulphuric acid at the former model on the orders of obsessed ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch, 39, who is serving a minimum of 16 years.
Now, after nine years behind bars, Sylvestre is waiting to hear if he will be freed. Fellow acid attack survivor Adele Bellis, 27, was in the same position as Katie last year when her tormentor was released after serving half his sentence.
She said: “I know the turmoil Katie is going through now as I went through the nightmare myself before my attacker was released after just two-and-a-half years behind bars.
“It is simply not long enough. These attacks are worse than murder and survivors like Katie and myself are left with our own life sentences.
“The justice system must make sentences tougher, and stick to them, to act as a deterrent to stop any more of these horrendous crimes taking place.” Adele, of Lowestoft, Suffolk, was permanently scarred and lost an ear when Jason Harrison attacked her at a bus stop on the orders of her ex-boyfriend Anthony Riley.
Katie, currently preparing to appear on Strictly, had 40 operations to treat burns following her own ordeal in March 2008. Writing of the psychological impact in her 2014 autobiography, the mum of two said: “I wish I’d been burned in a house fire or a car accident. “At least a fire wouldn’t come after me again, at least a fire wouldn’t have a score to settle.” The 34-year-old, who married Richard Sutton in 2015, added: “I’m the one with the life sentence. Not him! The two of them had taken so much from me, and now this man’s punishment might soon be over. “He can change his identity, change his name, get a new job, a partner, move on, but I can’t. I can’t pretend it didn’t happen because
it’s all over my face.” It is not the first time Sylvestre has tried to persuade prison bosses to cut short his sentence. He became eligible for parole in 2015, having served six years, but his application was blocked after he was deemed unfit for release.
A Parole Board spokeswoman said of the latest development: “We can confirm a panel of the Parole Board has considered the parole review for Stefan Sylvestre and expect to receive the decision in the coming weeks.
“We are unable to comment further on the individual details of this case.”
Victims’ Rights Campaign chief Harry Fletcher said: “The fact Sylvestre is being considered for release will mean he will need to go through a series of reports from psychologists and other experts who must be satisfied he will not be a danger any more.”
Mr Fletcher, alongside the Mirror, is calling for a new law to avoid a repeat of failings highlighted by the John Worboys scandal. The black cab rapist’s victims were kept in the dark about his planned release after 10 years. Just one was told of his parole hearing.
Harry said: “It is absolutely critical Katie is properly consulted about any plans to release her attacker and that she is given full access to all reports presented to the parole board.”
In future, judges will be able to impose harsher sentences on anyone caught carrying acid as it will be defined as a “highly dangerous weapon” for the first time. It comes after more than 2,600 acid attacks were recorded in England and Wales in three years. Adults convicted of carrying a corrosive substance in public for a second time will get a minimum six-month jail term, and under-18s handed a four-month detention and training order. But victims say the sentences are not tough enough.
Andreas Christopheros lost his eyelids after sulphuric acid was thrown in his face in a case of mistaken identity in 2014. He had 90% of his face burned.
The 32-year-old, of Truro, Cornwall, warned: “The ultimate repercussions for acid attacks are lifelong. “I strongly believe sentencing for anyone who carries out any form of acid attack should be a life sentence, with a minimum term of 20 or more
It is critical Katie is consulted on any plans to release her attacker HARRY FLETCHER VICTIM RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER
years.” Gavin Newlands MP, head of a parliamentary group aimed at challenging male violence against women, said Katie had shown “great courage to rebuild her life”.
He added: “She deserves huge admiration for the work she’s done to highlight the impact these despicable and cowardly crimes have. Sadly, the UK has one of the highest recorded rates of violent acid attacks in the world and it’s clear that we need to do a lot more to prevent these horrendous acts.”