Harry Barkas, better known as the ‘hot chocolate rapist’, has appeared in court to try to avoid paying compensation to his victims.
Three of Barkas’ victims will have to continue their long wait, as the 51-year-old South Yarra man is now refusing to pay the $100,000 awarded to one victim, and $40,000 each to the two other victims.
Barkas appeared via video link from prison before Supreme Court judge Jennifer Davies for a hearing into the compensation case.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) wants to use Barkas’ third share in an investment property at Bentleigh and his third share in a $24,000 bank account to pay out the compensation.
The DPP claims the property and the bank account are jointly owned by Barkas, his mother, Helen, and sister, Stella. However, Barkas has filed an affidavit claiming that while the property was left to all three of them, he never wanted it and he had no interest in it.
Barkas was sentenced after pleading guilty to raping three women between 1991 and 2005. He was jailed in May 2010 for at least nine years.
He was initially charged with 23 rapes in the early 1990s but the charges were dropped after he agreed to plead guilty to the three rape charges.
Police dubbed him the ‘hot chocolate rapist’ after two alleged victims said he had offered them hot chocolate to drink, but those charges did not proceed.
Barkas had been a long-time friend of serial rapist John Xydias.
Justice Jennifer Davies told Barkas the case would be listed for trial on a date to be fixed, after all additional material is filed.
Source: ABC News.