Unmasked, the Beast of Bondi
THE identity of a serial rapist who terrorised women in Sydney, Australia, for decades has been revealed using DNA technology – nine months after he died.
Grandfather Keith Simms, dubbed the ‘Beast of Bondi’ for his heinous crimes, was linked to a dozen confirmed cases of sexual assault and is also suspected in at least 19 more depraved attacks from 1985 to 2001.
His sickening crimes took place in the eastern suburbs of Sydney around Bondi Beach.
Armed with a knife and wearing a balaclava, Simms would attack women and girls by breaking into their homes at night.
He would also target women walking alone in isolated areas. His victims included girls as young as 13 and women as old as 55.
But the positive identification comes nine months too late to bring Simms to justice, as he died of kidney failure in February, at 66.
Detective Inspector Shelley Johns said: ‘This is a woman’s worst nightmare: to wake up in the middle of night and someone standing over you with a knife in a balaclava.’
Over the years, police launched more than
30 investigations to try to uncover who was behind the reign of terror. A breakthrough came in 2016 when DNA samples taken from rape scenes – some dating back 40 years – were linked to a male relative of Simms.
From this, police built a ‘family tree’ of 324 men, knowing one was the Beast of Bondi.
One victim, Jennifer, 69, who was raped at home in 1987, said: ‘It’s not a case of forgive and forget. Because I’ll never forget.’
Another victim, Jay, just 16 when made pregnant after being raped on Bondi Beach, felt ‘relief’ finding out he was dead.
‘Good, he can’t hurt anyone else,’ she said. ‘I hope he suffered.’
Simms’ family, including his three children and five grandchildren, have been made aware of the parks worker’s double life.