Families of victims of violent parolees plead for help to change the system

FAMILIES campaigning for parole reform after a series of tragic murders say the current system is out of touch and Victorians should stand up and fight for change.


Since July 2008, more than a dozen people have been murdered by parolees.

Now families whose loved ones were murdered by violent men on parole want an overhaul of the system, saying it is costing lives.

The Corp family, whose daughter Elsa was killed by a drug-crazed criminal on parole in 2010, has united with other grieving families to push for sweeping reforms.

They have launched a petition and Facebook page, and will hold a public rally on February 1, the third anniversary of Elsa's death.

They want mandatory refusal of bail and automatic loss of parole for any parolee charged with a serious offence. Had such laws existed, they say Elsa would still be alive.

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Julia said:

It seems that what the judiciary and parole boards deem fair is entirely out of step with what the community believes is right.
A friend of mine is a police prosecutor. She is constantly frustrated at the work they put in to secure a conviction for a very violent crime, achieve that conviction, only for the offender to receive a suspended or minimal sentence.
I have yet to talk to any ordinary member of the community who believes that sentencing and parole conditions are in line with the seriousness of offences committed.

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MrBurns said:

Yes I sympathise with the police they risk their lives in some cases to bring these people in only to see the courts go easy on them
I'm very glad to see some action on this at last

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pixel said:

I would be very glad to see action on this. Alas, it's not happening!
Instead, we persist with social engineers trying to rehabilitate criminals that have no intention of rejoining human society, except on their terms: free drugs, free association with other crims, and free to treat "soft targets" any way they like.
If we're serious about cleaning up the streets, we have to reconsider the softly-softly approach and, at least for repeat offenders, reintroduce capital punishment.

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