Killer Instinct book drama referred to Crime and Corruption Commission

THE state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to scrutinise Queensland’s former top forensic psychiatrist over a book on killers that enraged a victim’s family.

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THE state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to scrutinise Queensland’s former top forensic psychiatrist over a book on killers that enraged a victim’s family.

Controversy surrounding Donald Grant’s book escalated yesterday, with Queensland Health referring him to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

The Health Ombudsman has also been called in at the request of Health Minister Steven Miles.

Killer Instinct is based on interviews Dr Grant conducted with 10 Queensland killers while they awaited trial.

Since its release last month it has been slammed for revealing sensitive details that victims’ families were unaware of.

Sonia Anderson, the mother of slain 22-year-old Bianca Girven, only learnt of her daughter’s last words by reading the book.

In fiery scenes she confronted Dr Grant at his West End book launch this week.

Grieving mother Sonia Anderson with an image of her daughter Bianca Girven. Picture: Glenn Hunt

“These is the most retraumatising thing I’ve gone through since my daughter’s murder,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“(The book) absolutely must be removed (from shelves); Dr Grant must be investigated by an ethics committee.”

In the book Dr Grant recalls an interview with Ms Girven’s killer Rhys Austin: “(Austin) told me that Bianca had said, ‘I want to say goodbye to my son’, and that he’d replied, ‘No, he’ll know’, before tightening his grip … until she stopped moving.”

Dr Grant provided a report to the Mental Health Court, which found Austin was of unsound mind when he killed Ms Girven in 2010, meaning he did not stand trial.

Ms Anderson said she was speaking out on behalf of victims’ families, but also the mentally ill who had been interviewed by Dr Grant, and their families.

“It’s beyond imagination that he felt he had a right to do that,” she said.

She labelled Melbourne University Publishing “reckless” for going ahead with the book.

Dr Grant, who was Queensland Forensic Mental Health Services director from 2007-10, could not be reached.

Forensic psychiatrist Donald Grant is under scrutiny.

Bianca Girven’s boyfriend and killer Rhys Austin

The book says it contents are available to offenders, their lawyers, prosecutors and mental health representatives, and the interviewees had not been under his care.

After Ms Anderson confronted him at the book launch, Dr Grant agreed to donate a portion of royalties to victims’ services.

Experienced criminal lawyer Bill Potts said the book occupied a legal grey area.

“I don’t know whether what he has done has crossed the line of illegality, but there are significant privacy and decency concerns,” he said.

“I think it’s just very regrettable.”

But the Institute of Public Affairs’ Simon Breheny said while the book may be distressing for victims’ families, it wasn’t cause for a state investigation.

“There are free-speech implications to investigations of this kind,” he said.

“The Queensland Health Department is setting a dangerous precedent.”

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said it was reviewing the matter.

Originally published as Killer Instinct book drama referred to Crime and Corruption Commission