Serial Paedophile Dennis McKenna's Freedom Bid Hit with Fresh Abuse Allegation

A fresh allegation of abuse against one of Western Australia's most notorious serial paedophiles has emerged just weeks before a decision on his release from prison after 15 years.

Dennis McKenna, who molested dozens of teenage boys while working as the warden at St Andrew's Hostel in Katanning, has been the subject of a new complaint that is being considered by the State Solicitor's Office.

McKenna used a combination of favouritism, intimidation, and threats to abuse teenage boys under a veil of secrecy at the hostel in the 1970s and '80s.

Attorney-General Tony Buti confirmed that information about the complaint had been provided to the State Solicitor's Office. "They are considering it," he said.

"Dennis McKenna's offending against children is abhorrent, and I condemn his behaviour in the strongest possible terms," Mr Buti said. "If anyone has allegations against Mr McKenna I would strongly encourage them to go to the police so the allegations can be properly investigated."

McKenna's offending was revealed over the course of four separate court cases between 1991 and 2015. He was jailed in 1991 but released after a year and 10 months on parole. Police laid further charges in the late 2000s and he was jailed in 2011 for a 15-and-a-half year term.

Maggie Dawkins, a whistleblower who worked in Katanning during McKenna's period of offending, claimed that she knew of a police report made in 2004 or 2005 by a man who claimed he was assaulted by the paedophile.

"We know that this man went to the police and made a police complaint. There is an incident number," she said. "The expert witnesses haven't had a chance to even know that information."

Justice Marcus Solomon is weighing up what life will look like for McKenna when his sentence expires later this year. The court heard from various experts about McKenna's capacity to reoffend, including forensic psychiatrist Peter Wynn Owen.

"[He] attributes blame to victims, suggests victims in fact instigated aspects of the offending," Dr Wynn Owen told a hearing in July. "If an individual is denying offending, it suggests they are not going to be able to engage with treatment."

Justice Solomon's decision is due to be handed down in November, weeks before McKenna's sentence is due to expire.