Cops admit child-killer 'stuff up'
By Andrea Hayward
WEST Australian police "stuffed up" when they failed to DNA test the blood-splattered shorts worn by child-killer Dante Arthurs when he attacked another young girl four years ago, police chiefs admit.
Arthurs, 23, was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 13 years yesterday for the murder of eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia-Shu in a toilet cubicle at a Perth shopping centre last year.
During his sentencing in the Supreme Court yesterday it was revealed that a pair of shorts worn by Arthurs at the time he allegedly attacked another eight-year-old girl in 2003 were not tested until last month.
It was only then that a bloodstain on the shorts was found to match the eight-year-old victim of the 2003 attack.
Cops admit child-killer 'stuff up'
ReplyDeleteBy Andrea Hayward
WEST Australian police "stuffed up" when they failed to DNA test the blood-splattered shorts worn by child-killer Dante Arthurs when he attacked another young girl four years ago, police chiefs admit.
Arthurs, 23, was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 13 years yesterday for the murder of eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia-Shu in a toilet cubicle at a Perth shopping centre last year.
During his sentencing in the Supreme Court yesterday it was revealed that a pair of shorts worn by Arthurs at the time he allegedly attacked another eight-year-old girl in 2003 were not tested until last month.
It was only then that a bloodstain on the shorts was found to match the eight-year-old victim of the 2003 attack.
The case was dropped in 2003 by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Robert Cock because police bungled the interview, intimidating Arthurs when they thought video and audio tapes had been turned off.
Mr Cock was also told there was no forensic evidence to support a prosecution.
WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said today he had contacted the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) to investigate "what the hell went wrong".
"I think WA police have to accept this has been stuffed up," Mr O'Callaghan said.
"What we've seen is DNA evidence that could have been analysed in 2003 and the WA police have let the community down.
"I think to call it a bungle would be an underestimation."
Yesterday, Sofia's parents stayed away from Arthurs' sentencing to save themselves from the pain of what they labelled a "lack of effective justice".
Police chief 'on verge of tears' over bungle
ReplyDeletefrom news.com.au
A POLICE commissioner has slammed the bungled investigation into the sexual assault of a young girl that could have saved another girl's life, according to an internal memo.
The memo from Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan to every police officer in Western Australia criticised investigators for bungling the 2003 case against Dante Arthurs, who was since convicted of killing Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu.
Earlier this week Arthurs, 23, was sentenced to life in jail for murdering the eight-year-old in a Perth shopping centre toilet last year.
The Commissioner wrote in the memo that telling Sofia’s parents that her death should have been avoided was one of the most difficult things he has ever done.
“To have to explain to the parents of 'Sofia' that her death and the subsequent pain and suffering that they have gone through was probably entirely avoidable, but for the actions of police, left me on the verge of tears several times during our meeting,” the memo, which was leaked to The West Australian newspaper’s website, said.
Mr O’Callaghan wrote that public outrage over the fact that a bloodied pair of Arthurs’ shorts were not forensically examined after the 2003 sexual assault was justified.
“The community and the media are quite right to be outraged by the handling of this case and there is little we can do to defend what appears to be an indefensible position, nor should we try to do so,” the memo said.
“There is no doubt that the community will, at the very least, be questioning their confidence and faith in our professionalism.
“The standard of the 2003 investigation of Dante Arthurs has caused incalculable damage to our reputation and all police officers have a right to feel aggrieved by it.”
An internal investigation into the handling of the 2003 sexual assault matter was launched this week.
Mr O’Callaghan said in the memo that he would not defend any bungles.
“I should emphasise that I remain objective about the current internal investigation.
“Notwithstanding, I will not and cannot defend and support a police investigation that is less than thorough and diligent and you cannot expect my support if you are responsible for such an investigation.”
New rape laws go too far, say barristers
ReplyDeleteBy Janet Fife-Yeomans
TOUGH new rape laws which make it clear being drunk does not constitute consent have been condemned by barristers, who insist: "It will turn our sons into criminals."
The NSW Bar Association reckons the "No means no" law goes too far and will lobby Upper House members to vote against it when it is up for debate next week.
The law will define the meaning of consent for the first time, making it clear that being drunk or under the influence of drugs does not mean consent has been given.
It will also introduce an "objective fault test", meaning a man can no longer use the defence that he thought he had consent if the circumstances appear unreasonable.
"It will turn our sons into criminals," new Bar Association president Anna Katzmann SC said yesterday.
"For years women have been insisting 'No' means 'No'. What troubles us about this new legislation is that it introduces a new regime where 'Yes' may mean 'No'."
Ms Katzmann gave the example of a woman on a first date who might not want to have sex but after both she and the man had drunk too much said "Yes".
The next day she feels guilty and tells her mother, who goes to the police.
"That would be rape under the new laws," Ms Katzmann said. "The fact that he was drunk cannot be taken into account. The fact that she was drunk is no excuse for him.