Andrew McIntyre learned about the decision indirectly, as another victim of the same abuser was the one to inform him. This lack of formal communication added another layer of complexity to an already painful chapter of his life.
Even after all these years, McIntyre is grappling with the horrific abuse he suffered during his childhood.
“As a parent myself, the thought of such atrocities is unimaginable,” McIntyre shared in an interview with 9News.
At the tender age of nine, he fell victim to Munro, a trusted family friend.
“It’s surreal to think that someone who was once a friend could commit such acts,” he reflected.
The predator, a former scout leader, is currently serving a sentence for the appalling abuse inflicted on multiple children, including McIntyre, spanning from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Now he’s been granted parole, something at least one of his victims was notified about earlier this week, 9News understands.
McIntyre said he’s frustrated he wasn’t told.
“I’ve never received any notification – maybe that’s my fault, I don’t know,” he said.
Lawyer Andrew Carpenter has worked with dozens of survivors of child sexual abuse and says running into an offender is the last thing they need.
“The last thing any victim survivor wants to do is be out in public and see an offender that’s out when they thought they were in jail,” Carpenter told 9News.
Munro was 72 when he was sentenced to 10 years and nine months’ prison in 2017 for vile crimes in relation to McIntyre and another boy.
A third victim was identified three years later, adding more jail time.
“I was appalled by one year and six months for a third conviction of a known, proven paedophile,” McIntyre said.
Carpenter said there needs to be a change to protect victims.
“Until the parliament passes laws to make sure sentences are longer this is just going to be a thing that keeps happening over and over again,” he said.
A parole release date is still to be set but 9News understands there’ll be strict conditions for Munro, including electronic monitoring and home detention. He’s also not allowed to contact any of his victims.
Munro was questioned by police over the disappearance of the Beaumont children in 2016 who found no evidence linking him to the case.
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