State Government absolves Hillier triple murderer Steven Graham Peet of $40,000 compo debt, refuses to aid victims’ family

A notorious triple murderer is $40,000 richer thanks to the SA government – and the victims’ family say they feel like they’ve paid him to kill their loved ones.

A murderer who killed two innocent children amid Department for Child Protection failures will be $40,000 richer upon his release thanks to a cruel state government decision.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher has refused to refund $40,000 compensation reclaimed, by government lawyers, from the family of the 2016 Hillier murder victims.

Amber Rigney and Korey Mitchell’s grandparents had to return that money – used to raise their surviving sibling – before DCP was held accountable for their preventable deaths.

As a result, convicted murderer Steven Graham Peet will never have to pay a financial penalty for killing Amber and Korey.

Mr Maher has also told the family that the victims’ compensation system will now be altered so other survivors cannot seek his aid – as they did – in the future.

The Victims of Crime Fund currently sits at $219 million, up from $200 million in March this year.

Korey Lee Mitchell, 5, Amber Rose Rigney, 6, and their mother Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney, 28, were murdered at Hillier in 2016. Picture: Supplied

On Thursday, Amber and Korey’s grandfather, Steve Egberts, said Mr Maher’s response was “an insult on so many levels”.

“I feel like we have effectively paid Peet to kill our grandchildren, because he’s the only one who benefits from this,” he said.

“This was never about money for us, it was about accountability – making sure all of those responsible were held responsible for what they did and didn’t do.

“I would rather live broke for the rest of my life, with $100 million in debt, if it meant having Amber and Korey instead.

“The insult of Mr Maher saying he’s now going to stop other victims from contacting him reeks of privilege and casts aspersions upon survivors of crime.”

Mr Egberts and his partner, Janet Wells, received a $40,000 Victims of Crime payment after Peet murdered Amber, Korey and their mother, Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney.

Peet was legally liable to repay that amount to the government when released.

Steven Peet is taken from the Lyell McEwin Hospital after his arrest. Picture: Emma Brasier

In April 2022, the Coroners Court found Amber and Korey’s deaths were “preventable”, but they had not been saved due to DCP’s “continuing unlawful practices”.

Mr Egberts and Ms Wells were awarded compensation over DCP’s inaction, provided they first handed back their Victims of Crime payment.

Under law, the government may recover someone’s payment if they are “subsequently paid” by someone else for the same “injury, loss or grief”.

Mr Egberts and Ms Wells asked Mr Maher to intervene, arguing Peet’s conduct and DCP’s inaction were separate acts and not the same “harm” under the law.

In a letter on Monday, a crown solicitor said Mr Maher offered “his sincerest condolences” but had “declined” to intervene.

She said doing so would amount to “a further payment”, and the government sought to “avoid any double compensation being paid for the same harm”.

“In order to ensure this issue does not arise again … my office is amending the standard terms of discharge and release in Victims of Crime claims,” she wrote.

She said all future victims would have to sign a clause “expressly stating” they “agree not to make a request of the Attorney-General” to intervene.

Korey and Amber’s deaths were, the State Coroner found, preventable – but the Department for Child Protection failed to save them. Picture: Supplied

On Thursday, Mr Egberts agreed “double dipping” should be stopped, but said the government’s response went too far.

“The context here is there were two completely different actions, and I just can’t equate that with the idea of double dipping,” he said.

“It would be rare to have one case with two different sets of liability – and if it’s not, then the government needs to take a long, hard look at its departments.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Maher said the government could “not even begin to imagine the pain and grief that Mr Egberts and Ms Wells are continuing to experience”.

She said the Victims of Crime Fund was a “scheme of last resort” and “typically” only paid out when “damages from a civil claim are not available”.

The spokeswoman said any victims who were legally represented would “typically be advised” about clauses before signing them.