Anthea Bradshaw-Hall: Australian Federal Police conduct new inquiries into Brunei murder mystery
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police have launched fresh inquiries into the murder of Adelaide woman Anthea Bradshaw-Hall in Brunei — as her family confronts the 22nd anniversary of her death.
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AUSTRALIAN Federal Police have launched fresh inquiries into the murder of Adelaide woman Anthea Bradshaw-Hall in Brunei.
The Advertiser can reveal four Fedpol detectives will travel to Brunei on Sunday to conduct inquiries into Anthea’s 1994 murder as part of a major evaluation of the case file.
The move in the long-running case is a direct result of an amendment to Federal legislation last November to allow the prosecution of those who harm an Australian citizen overseas to be prosecuted in Australia.
Fedpol yesterday confirmed it had taken over the case file from SAPOL’s Major Crime Investigation Branch and was now evaluating the evidence available in the case. This followed meetings earlier this year over jurisdictional issues.
“The AFP extends its sympathies to the family at the loss of their daughter,’’ a spokesman said.
“The AFP has received a referral from SAPOL in relation to this matter. The AFP is currently evaluating this referral. As the matter is ongoing it is not appropriate to comment further’’.
The development has been welcomed by Anthea’s family, who today will endure the 22nd anniversary of her death.
“Since the legislation was changed through the efforts of Nick Xenophon and Christopher Pyne there is now an opportunity for police to re-examine Anthea’s murder,’’ her brother Craig Bradshaw said.
“We still miss Anthea terribly and welcome the move to evaluate all evidence and the witnesses who are still available.
“While we realise nothing will bring Anthea back, we remain hopeful that there will one day be justice for her.’’
Anthea Bradshaw-Hall, 26, was murdered while visiting Brunei on July 21, 1994. The teacher at Fraser Park Primary School, Murray Bridge, was about to move to the sovereign state on the island of Borneo with her husband Jeffrey Hall. Ms Bradshaw-Hall was found dead on the floor of their apartment. She had been strangled and then stabbed.
In 2013 the Sunday Mail revealed that SA Police had launched an inquiry into Ms Bradshaw-Hall’s death in 2004.
Former director of public prosecutions Stephen Pallaras, QC, revealed that he believed there was enough evidence to charge the suspect and prosecute him in Australia, but this could only be done if the Criminal Code Act was made retrospective.
In a historic move in federal Parliament last November, the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Harming Australians) Bill was unanimously passed providing this retrospectivity.
In the District Court last December Anthea’s husband, Jeffrey Hall, was named as a suspect in her death.
The revelation was made as part of an application by lawyers acting for Mr Hall to obtain access to the entire SA Police and Brunei police investigation files into her death. Mr Hall launched the court action after access to sections of the file were refused in his FOI application.
Mr Hall has been interviewed twice over the past 20 years in connection with his wife’s murder, in Brunei in 1994 and by Major Crime detectives in Adelaide in 2011.