Government wins as Milat forced to pay for his own ‘incineration’
In a fitting end for one of Australia’s most evil men, Ivan Milat was cremated in a service paid for using his own money. Or as Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts put it: “His corpse has now been unceremoniously incinerated”.
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The body of Australia’s most notorious serial killer Ivan Milat has been “incinerated”.
In a fitting end for one of Australia’s most evil men, the no-fills cremation was paid for using the money left in his prison account.
There were no mourners, no eulogy and no tears for the killer, who tortured his victims before fatally knifing or shooting them.
Only those present at the Friday cremation were those required to be for legal reasons.
While Milat’s brother Bill had said his brother’s wish was that he “not pay a cent” for the funeral, it appears the State government had the last laugh.
As The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week, NSW Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts sought legal advice to determine if the funeral could be paid for out of the estimated $3000 sitting in the killer’s prison account.
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While some of the money was raised from Milat’s earlier prison job as a Supermax sweeper, it is understood the vast majority were contributions from his family.
As one prison source said: “He didn’t get his dying wish – his own family ended up paying for his funeral.”
Destitute funerals are held for those who cannot afford to pay for their funerals.
The funerals are arranged by the Public Health Unit, with the deceased cremated unless the next of kin refuses.
The next of kin are able to take the ashes.
It is unclear if the Milat family has chosen to do so.
Should the family choose not to take the ashes, Milat’s existence will be marked with a plaque bearing a number.
Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts said it was fitting end for a “monster”, and even more fitting that it was Milat himself that paid for his cremation.
“Ivan Milat caused immeasurable pain and suffering to his victims and their families,” Mr Roberts told The Sunday Telegraph.
“He stole hundreds of years away from young innocent lives. I made it clear from the outset, he was not going to get the taxpayer funded funeral he demanded.
“His corpse has now been unceremoniously incinerated and he will pay for it. It has already been arranged for the full reimbursement of costs to be paid from his prison account. His last wish has been emphatically denied and he can now rot in hell where he belongs.”
Milat died in Long Bay prison hospital at 4.07am on Sunday October 27, aged 74.
The former road worker, who was serving seven life sentences for the murders of seven backpackers whose bodies were dumped in Belanglo Forest between 1989 and 1993, had been suffering advanced oesophageal cancer.
While police suspect he was involved in several other murders, the killer died with his secrets.
Originally published as Government wins as Milat forced to pay for his own ‘incineration’