The family of a 10-year-old girl murdered by a mentally-ill teenager in Gunnedah, New South Wales, has launched a petition calling for reform of the state's victim support scheme on the third anniversary of her death.
The parents say they have been denied vital financial support despite suffering an 'unspeakable tragedy' that left them 'crushed to the core'. NSW victim support payments for parents of murdered children have remained at $7,500 since 2013, with no additional loss-of-income support.
The girl was killed by a 14-year-old girl at a farmhouse on July 8, 2020. The killer, now 17, was found not criminally responsible by the NSW Supreme Court in November 2021. The family has expressed anguish that the perpetrator is set for day release while they have been cut off from state support.
The petition, hosted on change.org, has gained 15,000 signatures. The parents argue the system fails to recognise the psychological trauma of losing a child to murder, including PTSD, and call for increased support services for families of murder victims.
NSW Victim Services confirmed that the $7,500 recognition payment for parents of child homicide victims has not changed since 2013, and that loss-of-income support has never been available to families in such circumstances.
