Keli Lane, the woman convicted of murdering her newborn daughter Tegan in 1996, has been denied parole after more than 13 years in prison. The New South Wales State Parole Authority rejected her first bid for release, citing the state's 'no body, no parole' laws introduced in 2022.
The authority stated it was not satisfied that Lane had cooperated satisfactorily in police investigations to locate Tegan's body, which has never been found. Lane, 48, maintains she gave the baby to the father, a man named Andrew Norris or Morris, shortly after giving birth at Sydney's Auburn Hospital. Police have been unable to locate the man or the child.
Lane was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to a maximum of 18 years, with parole eligibility from 12 May. The 'no body, no parole' laws require the parole board to consider a police report on the offender's cooperation in locating a victim's body before granting parole.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson criticised the decision, calling Lane a 'political prisoner' and arguing that the laws undermine rehabilitation. She noted Lane has always maintained her innocence and was convicted on circumstantial evidence. Higginson compared Lane's case to that of Kathleen Folbigg, whose convictions for killing her children were quashed last year.
