A former Adelaide prison employee has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a female inmate, concluding a tense four‑day trial that left the courtroom shaken. The 12‑person jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against 67‑year‑old Enio Screpanti after just over two hours of deliberation, rejecting his pleas of innocence over offences committed in the early 2020s.
Screpanti’s family became visibly emotional as the verdicts were read, marking a dramatic end to a case that exposed serious breaches of trust inside the correctional system. Prosecutor Christine Hanna immediately moved to have Screpanti’s bail revoked, arguing the gravity of the crimes demanded custody. Defence barrister Gilbert Aitken opposed the application, but Judge Anne Barnett ruled that remand was appropriate, ordering Screpanti back into custody.
Throughout the trial, jurors heard confronting evidence. The victim testified that Screpanti first sexually assaulted her while she was on a treadmill in the prison gym. Months later, he allegedly lured her to a shed under the pretext of a work task before raping her. Hanna described the woman as a “credible and reliable witness,” urging jurors to consider the consistency and detail of her account.
The court also heard from convicted murderer and fellow inmate Nicole McGuinness, whose testimony about uncharged acts was admitted to provide context to Screpanti’s behaviour. Hanna told jurors the additional evidence helped illustrate that the charged offences “did not come out of the blue,” reinforcing the prosecution’s case.
Screpanti now awaits sentencing, with the verdict expected to prompt renewed scrutiny of staff conduct and inmate safety within South Australia’s correctional facilities.
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