Snapchat rapist’s case another chapter in the bitter saga of Geraldton’s abandoned Batavia Motor Inne

Horrific revelations of a Geraldton girl being raped at the Batavia Motor Inne by an Eastern States predator who had flown to WA after grooming her over Snapchat for months haveintensified calls for the owners to bulldoze the derelict site. The shocking details of the 14-year-old’s two-day ordeal in the Geraldton hellhole of the Batavia Motor Inne and nearby bush — during which she was raped at least four times — were revealed during a harrowing trial after which James Robert Sbresni, 21, was found guilty of two counts of rape on Thursday. He had earlier pleaded guilty to two rape charges in Geraldton District Court. The then 19-year-old groomed the Geraldton girl, then 13, over Snapchat and Facebook Messenger for four months during which he sent a naked photo of himself to her. According to some community leaders, incidents such as this are a clear consequence of the failure of the owners to secure the derelict building. The Inne, once a popular spot in the city centre with 76 rooms, bars, a garden and the setting of many weddings and functions, has been abandoned since the late 2000s, and despite frequent calls by the City of Greater Geraldton since 2014 for the derelict site to be secured and demolished, it remains standing. The site, now ridden with graffiti, broken windows, rubbish and hazards has been the scene of numerous crimes in the last few years. Mayor Shane Van Styn, who lives next to the building, said he had continually pointed out the escalating crime problems surrounding the derelict site and the inaction of a series of owners. “To hear now that children are being raped inside the Batavia is truly shocking. This is a significant escalation from what we’ve seen previously,” he said. In the last two years, the building has been the site of assaults, stabbings and arson. In November, there were three fires in less than a fortnight, raising further alarm. Mr Van Styn said the fact there was opportunity for the rape to happen at the site was a disgrace and slammed the owners, insisting securing the building was the very least they could do. “Stabbings, we’re now hearing of rapes, fires in the CBD, this is an absolute disgrace and the owners absolutely need to take action to demolish the site,” he said. “At least make the site secure to ensure no one is inside occupying the premises or getting up to various actions.” The property has passed through the hands of multiple owners since becoming abandoned, each of which have been seemingly unable to follow through with their plans to refurbish the building or demolish and start from fresh. Previous owners Batavia Village said in 2010 they would spend $3 million in a refurbishment project to bring it up to a four-star standard, but these plans did not materialise. Batavia Village put the property up for sale in June 2021, to avoid the costs of securing or clearing, and it was then bought for $572,000 by its current owners, 54 Fitzgerald Pty Ltd. These owners have said they intend to demolish the building but have been held up by contractor issues. They said once a contractor was “appointed and mobilised”, temporary fencing would be installed and at this time they would need the council’s help “in bringing local agencies together in clearing the buildings”. The city remains unconvinced however, and has launched legal action against the company. Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton expressed a similar sentiment to Mr Van Styn, calling on the owners to finally commit to securing the building. “This is a horrific case and my thoughts are with the young girl and her family,” she said. “I have raised my concerns directly with the owners of the Inne, as has the minister for housing. “I urge them to get on with working with the City of Greater Geraldton to secure the site and bring this matter to a resolution. Geraldton Police officer in charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said call-outs to the site had decreased in recent months, but police continued to actively engage with those staying at the Batavia Motor Inne over the past year. “This engagement includes daily patrols, building and harnessing relationships with those residing there and stakeholder and community member engagement,” he said. “A result this engagement has seen a minimal amount of offending at the Batavia and police acting in a space of guardianship for those sleeping at the site.” Sen Sgt Martin said while police, the City and owners worked tirelessly to bring the state of the site to an end and its “potential demolition”, police have received a number of reports including one of a sexual assault — the case against Sbresni, who is awaiting sentence. “We’ve conducted investigation and subsequently charged a male with a serious offence, and are working very closely with the victim and her family to bring the best course of justice as court proceedings are ongoing,” he said. “This instance highlights the dangers of community members sleeping rough in derelict buildings in the community. Police would be very keen to see the site secured or bulldozed in the future to prevent further offending.” The safety of the rough sleepers who live in the Batavia Motor Inne has been a major concern. Regional Alliance West operations manager Chris Gabelish last month told the parliamentary inquiry into homelessness that more than 40 people used the Batavia Motor Inne at any one time. He also revealed his team of community welfare workers had handed out whistles upon request to females at the site to use in case of a sexual or physical attack. The situation of the Batavia’s rough sleepers does highlight another issue for Geraldton however — a lack of options for those experiencing homelessness. In a parliamentary inquiry in October, Centacare’s Christina Mallett said the Batavia was so unsafe, Centacare prohibited its staff from entering. But she said the squatting was a result of the city’s housing situation. “In one way I suppose you can go, ‘well thank goodness they haven’t bulldozed it over because it would leave these people literally on the street’,” she said. Housing Minister John Carey said he had written to the owners, calling for the site to be demolished. “The advice I have received is that the majority of the people who attend the site are not homeless and the property continues to attract significant antisocial behaviour,” he said. On calls for more public housing to be made available in Geraldton, Mr Carey said 48 older public housing properties were set to be refurbished in Geraldton, 26 of which had renovations under way and were expected to be available before the end of the year.