Victim’s shattered family wants answers as parole board releases murderer 15 years after stabbing schoolgirl 45 times
A “premeditative murderer” who stabbed a teenage girl 45 times has walked free despite the victim’s family warning he will kill again.
Crime & Justice
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A “premeditative murderer” who stabbed a teenage girl 45 times has walked free despite the victim’s family warning he will kill again.
Graduate teacher Bojan Vulic was 24 when he lured his ex-girlfriend – student Vlatka Mrmos, 17 – into a car and murdered her on January 16, 2004 because she no longer wanted to be with him.
Vulic was released last Tuesday from Maryborough Correctional Centre in a move that has left Vlatka’s family feeling ignored and powerless. He is now living with his parents in North Lakes, north of Brisbane.
The street is metres from playgrounds and childcare centres and is heavily used by children on pushbikes and people walking their animals.
Vlatka’s family made a submission to the Parole Board warning Vulic “would kill again”, but he was released at the first opportunity.
At the time of her death, Vlatka was scared of Vulic and told her family he was controlling, only allowing her to leave her home when he said and even trying to dictate when she shaved her legs.
After returning from a family holiday to Croatia, Vlatka was relentlessly called by Vulic seeking an explanation as to why she had ended their three-year relationship.
Vlatka feared he would hurt her, but got into a car with him not knowing he had bought a 40cm US Marine knife and had it under the seat.
Vlatka – a top student who wanted to study law – was about to begin Year 12 at MacGregor State High School in southeast Brisbane.
Vulic was about to start teaching at John Paul College in Brisbane’s south.
During his trial, the jury heard Vulic lost control of the car on Brisbane’s Southeast Freeway and had a minor crash because he was speeding.
The pair got into a fight and Vulic said he did not remember anything after that.
But witnesses who stopped to help after the crash saw him stab Vlatka relentlessly.
When she was dead, Vulic sped the car the wrong way up an off-ramp and hit another car before running off.
“I am certain that, if released, it is just a matter of time before he kills again. I do not say this out of vengeance. He is calculated and will wait for the opportunity,” Vlatka’s sister Helena Mrmos wrote in the Parole Board submission.
“He had days to cool his head prior to stabbing my sister in excess of 45 times. He kept the knife under his car seat, planning to kill her if she did not want to be with him.
“There is no amount of time in prison that could change his evil nature.”
When he was arrested, Vulic tried to take the process through the mental health court in an effort to deny Vlatka’s family justice, her loved ones say.
Ultimately declared fit to face the charges, Vulic pleaded guilty in July 2006 and was jailed “for life” – a minimum of 15 years in jail.
Queensland’s minimum non-parole period for murder has since changed to 20 years.
But the change was not retrospective, meaning those sentenced to 15 years in jail for murder do not have to serve an additional five years.
Vulic’s mother yesterday confirmed he was living at North Lakes and was reporting to a nearby police station.
Helena Mrmos – now a lawyer – said she had “no doubt” Vulic would try to seduce and kill another female.
“He’s a highly manipulative human being. He’s intelligent, knows exactly what he’s doing,” she said.
“For a highly manipulative human being who has premeditated a murder, sat on the knife for five days and purchased it for that purpose, for him to be released after 15 years and one month, for me, is just unbelievable.
“Cold, calculated, he knew exactly what he was doing and when he was going to do it.
“The sentencing remarks said he is a premeditated murderer. I am almost certain he will kill again.”
Asked how seriously the Parole Board took submissions from a victim’s family, a spokesman said via a statement: “The Parole Board Queensland fully considers all victim submissions when making parole decisions.”
The statement did not say why Vulic had been released.
Queensland Homicide Victim’s Support Group (QHVSG) chief executive Brett Thompson – who sits on the Parole Board as a victim advocate – said the real issue was around sentencing.
“The court sets the parole eligibility date, the PBQ cannot change that,” he said.
“What the PBQ does is use all the evidence before them to make a determination of whether or not there is a risk to the community.”
Mr Thompson said any decision to release a killer was a balancing act between the needs of society and the evidence on hand.
“I assure you that if QHVSG felt that there was a flaw in the process, we would be meeting to work with the PBQ to address it,” Mr Thompson said. “The fundamental rule for any information to be considered is that it must be evidence based. Without evidence, the PBQ cannot actually use it in the decision-making process.”
One of Vulic’s new neighbours, who has young children, said he never expected a convicted murderer would be living in their street.
He said while Vulic had served his time, he warned him not to approach his family, saying he would be waiting with a baseball bat.
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