A mural painted by a serial rapist in one of the most renowned parts of Sydney will be pulled down in the coming weeks following a renewed push for the artwork to be removed.
The artwork, Brown Bear Lane, is situated in a side street off George Street in the Rocks and was painted in 2006 by artist Pierre Mol.
This week, Mol faced court after pleading guilty to assaulting three art students whom he hired to work as models.
The court heard statements from two of his victims who said Mol touched them without their consent after they undressed. He has pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced for his crimes on July 5.
Mol is already in jail after he was sentenced to 12 years jail in 2015 after being convicted of indecently assaulting and raping three separate women.
This week, one of Mol’s original victims Hollie May used his court date to renew her calls to have his mural in the Rocks removed.
Ms May started a petition on change.org which has since been signed by more than 1500 people.
In a statement to news.com.au, a spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure said the government would be removing the mural in the coming weeks.
“The Rocks is continually renewed and shaped by community feedback,” the statement said.
“We are committed to creating safe and inclusive places and have developed a Women’s Safety Strategy for the area.
“As part of a George Street upgrade project we will create a welcoming entry to The Rocks. The mural Brown Bear Lane undermines this objective so it will be removed in coming weeks.”
The mural is a painting of an original black and white photograph of Brown Bear Lane, which was named after The Brown Bear, the Rocks’ first pub.
Mol shot to fame in the industry in the early 2000s when he painted the largest mural in the southern hemisphere at the request of the Sultan of Brunei.
Ms May said council has told her they are considering creating another mural, either in the same location or close by, that symbolises sexual assault survivors.
“This could be a beautiful ending to a nightmare experience,” she said.
“It is a relief to know that finally a serial rapist’s artwork will no longer be on public display in our home. It provided a constant reminder to the nightmare myself, and other innocent young women, were subjected to.”