An alleged victim of notorious Sydney gang rapist Mohammed Skaf has questioned the state’s justice system after the 42-year-old’s arrest over his alleged involvement in directing a large-scale drug trafficking syndicate.
Tracy Lee, who asked that her surname not be published, was just 15 years old when she allegedly became one of the first victims of the Skaf brothers, who were imprisoned for a series of horrific attacks on schoolgirls across the late 1990s. Her case was never prosecuted after she said police pressured her to drop her complaint and questioned whether she consented to the horrors she endured.
Reacting to Wednesday’s arrest, Tracy Lee said that while she wanted “justice with no malice” against her alleged attackers, it appeared rehabilitation may have failed.
If the allegations are proven, Tracy Lee said it would show that Skaf has not changed.
It would be sad, she said, if Skaf “couldn’t take his opportunity and become a different person”. Tracy Lee said it was crucial that the justice system offered rehabilitation and the opportunity “to reintegrate into society”.
She also said that while she was “sick” of seeing the brothers’ faces, part of her wanted to sit down with them and tell them she had forgiven them.
Skaf has been charged with 24 offences, including supplying prohibited drugs of varying quantities, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and directing activities of a criminal group. Police allegedly seized almost $250,000 cash, cocaine, MDMA and several mobile phones.
Skaf was hospitalised on Wednesday after an alleged struggle with police during his arrest. He was later escorted from Bankstown Hospital by NSW Police with his arm in a sling.
A man and woman allegedly working with Skaf, John Harvard – who is also known as Ahmed Warwar – and Winter Egitmeglu, were also arrested on Wednesday night. Detectives allege they worked as runners for Skaf.
Tracy Lee met the brothers in 1999. She alleged that Bilal took her into a toilet block, threatened her with a knife and, when she refused his sexual advances, called his friends. Across 4½ horrifying hours, she said she was sexually assaulted by more than a dozen men with a gun and knives pointed at her.
Despite a sexual assault service expert certificate cited by this masthead finding her physical injuries, including haemorrhages in her mouth, cuts on her lips, and bruises and red marks all over her body, matched her allegations, Tracy Lee said police did not take her complaint seriously.
On January 17, 2000 – 10 months before the first of many charges would be brought against Skaf for other attacks – Tracy Lee said a detective encouraged her to drop her case.
NSW Police have since implemented reforms to ensure complainants receive a victim-centric, trauma-informed response within the force.
Skaf, then 17, his brother Bilal and at least 14 other men raped at least six schoolgirls over several weeks in 2000. They lured girls from locations such as shopping centres and railway stations and then repeatedly forced them to perform sex acts on the men.
Skaf served 21 years behind bars for his crime against other victims and was released from prison in October 2021 under strict parole conditions, including 24/7 electronic monitoring and participation in mental health and community programs. The conditions expired in 2024.
Bilal Skaf is serving a 38-year prison sentence, which was reduced from 55 years on appeal.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)
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Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
