Dennis McKenna: One of WA’s most notorious paedophiles likely released into community in matter of weeks

One of WA’s most notorious paedophiles will likely be released back into the community in a matter of weeks, despite two of his victims’ grieving mother urging authorities to keep him behind bars and “throw away the key.”

Dennis John McKenna was jailed in July 2011 after he was convicted of sexually abusing 29 boys whilst working as the hostel warden at the Katanning Residential College in the 1970s and 80s.

The 81-year-old will likely be released from prison on November 17 after serving his 15.5-year sentence, despite being denied parole in October 2024.

On Friday, State prosecutor Brett Tooker told the WA Supreme Court that McKenna should be declared a high-risk serious offender for up to four years upon release and until he was “physically or cognitively incapable of committing any serious offence.”

He said that McKenna had proven to have a “chronicity” for sexual violence and demonstrated “extreme minimisation” towards his offending.

“Mr McKenna presents with multiple distortions that support or condone sexual violence, being that he engages in victim blaming (and) exhibits beliefs about mutuality. He has distorted views about consent in terms of sexual activity with children,” he said.

“If no restriction order is put in place, then the community faces the prospect of him being released without appropriate monitoring or supervision.

“We cannot assume just because of how notorious Mr McKenna is in a courtroom or a certain part of the community, that everyone will know who he is just by looking at him.

“There are 29 known victims of Mr McKenna’s conduct . . . the community cannot tolerate the risk that this might happen again.”