Murdered Parap woman’s sister issues ‘urgent plea’ to Minister on laws that would gag other victims’ families

THE sister of a woman who was raped and murdered in Parap in the 1980s has slammed proposed legislation that would ban other victims’ families from speaking out

Eileen Culleton publicly campaigned against the man who murdered her sister Anne-Marie being granted parole. Picture: Supplied

• Parap murder victim’s sister’s pleas ignored as killer rapist released from jail

THE sister of a woman who was raped and murdered in Parap in the 1980s has slammed proposed Victorian legislation that would ban other victims’ families from speaking out.

Eileen Culleton’s sister Anne-Marie was killed by Jonathan Bakewell in a brutal, drug-fuelled home invasion after the now convicted murderer broke down her door while she slept in 1988.

Ms Culleton has been a vocal advocate for victims’ rights since her sister’s death and publicly opposed Bakewell being granted parole last year after he was jailed in 1989 for the callous attack.

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This month Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy introduced proposed legislation that would mean grieving relatives of murder victims in that state would be banned from publicly identifying themselves.

In an “urgent plea” to Ms Hennessy on Tuesday, Ms Culleton said she was “horrified” by the proposed law, which she described as “a gross violation of victims’ civil rights and dignity”.

Ms Culleton said while she did not live in Victoria, it was “critical” that all victims’ families, the media and the general public could speak freely about and advocate for the dead.

“It is critical for all members of the public to be able to reference sexual homicide crimes when advocating for justice or for law reform,” she said.

Eileen Culleton with a photo of her sister, Anne-Marie Culleton, who was murdered in 1988. Picture: Supplied by Ms Culleton.

“Victim families should have the right to publicly oppose parole applications by their loved one’s rapist murderer.”

Ms Culleton said the families of murder victims in Victoria should have the same right she had “to grieve publicly if they so choose”.

“They should have the right to speak to the media to honour their loved one whom they have lost so brutally,” she said.

“They should have the right to set up social media memorial pages for their loved one. They should have the right to set up public crowd-funding pages to seek help with funeral expenses.”

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Ms Culleton called on Ms Hennessey to “urgently amend this bill to allow victim families, the media and the public to freely publish the names of deceased victims of sexual assault”.

“Please do not silence families of rape and murder victims,” she said.

“We have been through enough. Please do not take away our voice.”

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