A sexual assault survivor has spoken out with harrowing revelations about her childhood abuse, while expressing profound anger at laws that permitted her paedophile father to end his life through voluntary assisted dying while incarcerated. Nevaeh Jett disclosed that she became pregnant at age seventeen during the period she was being abused by her father, Daniel Hume, a convicted paedophile who died under the controversial scheme in New South Wales.
Father's Death Under Assisted Dying Laws
Daniel Hume, aged fifty-five, was serving a thirty-year prison sentence for abusing fourteen individuals when he was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. He became the first prisoner in New South Wales to be approved for voluntary assisted dying, passing away at Cessnock Hospital near Newcastle on August twenty-eighth, just seven years into his sentence. The laws, which took effect in November 2023, allow eligible individuals with terminal conditions to request medical assistance to die, typically through prescribed medication.
Survivor's Trauma and Pregnancy Revelation
In an emotional interview, Ms Jett described the horrific abuse she endured, stating she was uncertain whether her pregnancy at seventeen resulted from her father or a boyfriend at the time. She expressed relief at miscarrying, citing the violence of her father. "He was so terrifying. I really did think that he would kill me. He was a monster. That's how I described him my entire childhood, a monster," she revealed, adding she had never shared this detail before.
Outrage Over Prisoner Privileges
Ms Jett has publicly vented her fury on social media, particularly upset that Hume was allowed to have a photograph of her and another abused daughter at his bedside as he died. "I'm pissed," she stated in a TikTok video viewed over 3.4 million times. "I, and other victims, feel robbed that he did not serve out his natural life in prison. He was given the easy way out, the comfortable way out." She argued he deserved standard palliative care instead, emphasizing he never showed her mercy during the abuse.
Public Reaction and Legal Context
The case has sparked widespread debate, with many online commentators condemning the decision to grant Hume access to assisted dying. Critics argue that prisoners should not have such privileges, especially those convicted of heinous crimes. The laws in New South Wales require individuals to have an advanced, progressive condition expected to end their life within six months, or twelve months for neurodegenerative diseases, and are currently under review until February twenty-seventh.
Government Stance on the Laws
Despite the controversy, NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended the existing legislation, stating he does not propose changes even after considering Hume's case. "I think the reasons and the story behind it, I think are justifiable in the circumstances," Minns said, noting that the eligibility criteria were followed. Ms Jett, however, urges the public to speak up during the review period, believing her father's access to assisted dying was unjust.
Ms Jett highlighted that she was unaware of her father's ability to choose his death and would have objected had she known. Her story underscores ongoing tensions between justice for survivors and end-of-life rights, raising questions about mercy and punishment in the criminal justice system.
