Rapist's jail time increased on appeal

A rapist who terrorised women in Melbourne's northern suburbs will serve an extra two years in jail following an appeal by Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions.

Sedat Avci, 22, pleaded guilty in the County Court last year to 13 charges, including seven of rape, following attacks on six women between April and August 2005.

Victoria's Court of Appeal today ruled that a minimum jail term of nine years imposed on Avci was manifestly inadequate and should be increased to 11 years.

Appeal court president Justice Chris Maxwell said: "This was a horrific set of crimes. The terror, pain and humiliation which the victims experienced is quite appalling, the long-term damage immeasurable."

Justice Maxwell said Avci's offending became progressively worse, and there was every reason to assume it would have continued had he not been caught.

"(There) was a persistent attitude on Avci's part that he was entitled to disregard entirely the rights of any woman he might select for his purposes," he said.

Justice Maxwell stressed the importance of courts "continuing to send the clearest possible message to the community that preying on innocent females, whether in their homes or on the streets, will be treated as offending of the utmost seriousness".

Justices Maxwell, Peter Buchanan and Robert Redlich re-imposed Avci's original maximum jail term of 16 years.