Trigger warning: This post contains details of child abuse and may be disturbing for some readers.

It’s been almost 15 years since Jan-Maree Farrenkothen was convicted of helping her then-husband, Jurgen Farrenkothen, lure a 10-year-old girl into their home so he could rape her.

Now nearing the end of her jail sentence, the notorious female sex offender could be living free in Brisbane by the end of the year.

In 2002, the Farrenkothens watched on from an upstairs window as a little girl and boy played together in their yard. The girl was a neighbour, the boy was their 11-year-old son.

With the promise of video games, Jan-Maree brought the girl inside, where together the couple “locked the door, got out handcuffs, and applied them to her wrists, tied her feet with rope, and wrapped her in a sleeping bag”, according to official court records published by News.com.au.

They drugged the girl, then Jurgen raped her. When the sun went down and child’s mother inevitably came looking, they lied to her face.

At around 11pm, the little girl managed to call out to police from the upstairs bedroom window and was rescued. After initially pleading their innocence, Jorgen was sentenced to 14 years in prison and Jan-Maree was given 10. In court they admitted to having also sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl on a camping trip.

The horrific crime sent shock waves through the rural Queensland community of Gladstone where it occurred.

The state’s Attorney-General appealed to have both sentences extended, on the grounds they were “manifestly too low”, a judge agreed given the couple’s “callousness and depravity”.

Jan-Maree, now 55, has reverted to her maiden name Dunlop and is currently being held in Brisbane Women’s Correctional Facility. Her sentence ends this year.

News.com.au reports the current Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath is now asking to keep her locked up, or at the very least, have her closely monitored when she’s released.

So far she has had less success than her predecessor.

“The real issue here is whether or not there will be a relapse,” Peter Davis QC said in court this week, acting on the Attorney-General’s behalf.

“The personality disorder continues. It’s a question of post-release control to avoid that.”

A psychiatrist who examined Jan-Maree last year, said the likelihood of her re-offending was slim, less than three per cent, and would likely only occur under coercion from a male partner.

“She needs (people) to feel better about herself, she needs them to meet an unmet desire for love and affection,” he said.

“I think once she gets released in the community that might be aggravated by isolation, loneliness and depression.”

Queensland Supreme CourtJustice David Jacks ruled against the Attorney-General’s most recent request, which means Jan-Maree Dunlop could be living in Brisbane by the end of the year.

Feature image: Twitter