Rape victim's shock at attacker's escape

The woman brutalised by a rapist who later broke out of a prison van just weeks into an 11-year sentence has said his escape led to flashbacks of her horrific ordeal.

Cameron John Graham had been in prison less than a month when he was permitted to move closer to his family near Geraldton for Christmas.

It was during his transfer to Perth by private prison contractor Serco that Graham and a fellow prisoner broke out of a prison van, stole a car and went on the run for about 36 hours - sparking a furious public reaction.

The woman he attacked a year ago said she was "completely astounded" at the privilege afforded to him after how he degraded her.

"My head was still trying to process the news that he had the opportunity to escape, then to learn he had been moved closer to his family as a Christmas privilege. ... I was completely astounded," she wrote in Perth's Sunday Times newspaper.

"I was terribly upset and angered that the people responsible for detaining prisoners of this nature seemed to have no regard to the seriousness and gravity of the horrific ordeal that I endured and the risk to public."

Graham, 22, and Kelden Edward Fraser, 23, who was on remand, escaped while being transferred from Greenough Regional Prison in Geraldton, in the state's Mid West, back to Perth on January 3.

Both have been charged with escaping custody, aggravated robbery and stealing a vehicle.

The escape prompted an apology from prison authorities and WA Corrections Minister Joe Francis, and changes to prisons procedures

The 36-year-old victim, who moved overseas with her family to recover from the attack, said she still cannot fall asleep at night alone, after Graham attacked her in own home while her two young children slept nearby.

"Since hearing of his escape I have had constant anxiety and cannot be alone in the house or able to sleep without medication. It has brought back terrible memories and flashbacks, and I am finding it hard to control my emotions," she said.

"I do believe someone should be accountable for allowing this to happen and I am extremely disappointed that it takes an incident like this to highlight flawed policies that have no regard for victims or the public."

The mother-of two revealed Mr Francis contacted her husband directly to offer his apologies, but she was too upset to speak to him personally.