Sydney, Sep 20 : Offenders in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) who refuse to provide information on the location of their victims’ remains will be ineligible for parole under new laws.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said Tuesday that the government’s proposed bill would mean criminals must cooperate with investigators and disclose the location of remains for any chance of release on parole.
“Being unable to locate a loved one’s body is extremely distressing and traumatic for the families and friends of victims and it denies a victim the dignity of being laid to rest appropriately,” Perrottet said.
“These laws are to stop inmates convicted of murder or homicide offenses from getting parole unless they cooperate with police to end the torment of families and return to them the remains of their loved ones,” he said.
The law, which is still under proposal, will mean the State Parole Authority is obliged to refuse parole unless it receives written advice from the Commissioner of NSW Police Force as well as other relevant information to determine whether the offender has cooperated satisfactorily to identify a victim’s location.
The change in law is receiving much attention as it followed the high-profile case of Chris Dawson, who was convicted last month of murdering his wife, Lynette, over 40 years ago, with the body never found.
