Mandy Burgess says killer who stabbed her daughter 48 times is a risk to community

WATCH: Mandy Burgess’s daughter was stabbed 48 times on her way home from school. Barely older than his victim, the murderer is now 33 years old – yet his identity remains secret. Now Mandy has made an impassioned plea to change the law before he’s set free.

The mother of a teenage girl who was stabbed to death 48 times by a juvenile murderer has begged the NSW Attorney-General to amend the law and reveal his identity to the public – before his legal constraints expire.

Mandy Burgess has called on Michael Daley to approve proposed laws to allow victims and their families to apply for a juvenile offender who has committed the most serious crimes to be retrospectively named once they turn 16.

Ms Burgess’s 15-year-old daughter Tania was savagely knifed by a 16-year-old killer, known only as DAA, who ambushed her in the carpark of Forresters Beach Resort on The Central Coast in 2005 leaving her bleeding on the asphalt.

DAA, now 33, is subject to a two-year community corrections order imposed after he breached his parole by failing to comply with his reporting requirements in 2023.

The conditions – which state he must be supervised by a corrections officer, cannot commit an offence and must appear before the court if summoned – expire in May.

Mandy Burgess is campaigning for her daughter's underaged killer, now aged 33, to be named so the public can protect themselves. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“Come June, the legal system will no longer monitor Tania’s killer,” Ms Burgess said.

“He took my daughter from me in the most unnatural and cruel way – it was horrible holding her in my arms in those final moments – he needs to be named to own the crime he’s never admitted to doing.

“If Tania hadn’t said his name as she was dying, we would never have known who he was.”

The identity of juvenile criminals under 18 who commit serious crimes is protected for life.

“It’s in the interest of community protection that he is named so (others) know what he’s done and can protect themselves,” she said.

“I live in terror of this happening to my other children, or to anyone, again.

Mandy Burgess and her husband Andy, say there is a ‘big hole” in their family after losing their daughter Tania 20 years ago. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“DAA is subject to legal constraints until June and he has been living near the Central Coast where my other children live.

“We need the Attorney-General to move on the recommendations of the open justice inquiry – they’ve been sitting in parliament for more than five years.”

DAA killed Tania after catching the same school bus and launched his heinous crime as she was walking home.

Tania Burgess was 15-year-old when she was savagely knifed 48 times by a 16-year-old killer, who can only be known only as DAA. Photo Jeremy Piper

Tania identified her killer in her last moments alive. Picture: Jeremy Piper

She muttered his name and school year to passers-by as her life ebbed.

The teen was arrested and convicted of her murder – for which he was sentenced to 22 years in 2008 before his non-parole period of 17 years was lessened to 13 years on appeal, with five years’ parole.

He was eligible for parole on July 19 2018, but was not granted it until August 1 2022 when he was placed under strict conditions, including electronic ankle monitoring, with the view it was “imperative for the protection of the community”.

Tania Burgess’s killer, who was 15 when he committed the heinous crime, can only be identified as DAA

Victims advocate Howard Brown agrees with Ms Burgess that DAA must be supervised in the community.

He supported the Burgess family in their bid to enter submissions for former NSW AG Mark Speakman’s three-year consultation for a review of open justice which opened in 2019.

Ms Burgess and her husband Chris made a submission to the LRC, arguing in the interests of community protection, and suggesting the prohibition does not apply where the offender is sentenced to more than 10 years.

Victim's advocate Howard Brown says anyone who stabs someone 48 times and continues to denies his responsibility is a risk to the community. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“If a person stabs someone 48 times and continues to denies his responsibility – he is clearly a risk to the community,” Mr Brown said.

“The Attorney-General must act to implement the recommendations in the open justice review as DAA will no longer be supervised in two months and has shown no remorse for what he did,” Mr Brown said.

A spokesperson for the NSW Attorney-General said Tania Burgess’ murder was “senseless and shocking,“ adding, ”I acknowledge her family’s continued advocacy.”

“The NSW Government is always looking at ways the justice system can be improved to better support victims and their families,“ he said.

“Any changes affecting the disclosure of court information would require careful consideration and consultation.”

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