Torture survivor Tameka Ridgeway joins national push to lock rapist-murderers up for life

A local woman has joined a national campaign calling for mandatory life sentences for rapist-murderers, noting it’s “just a question of time” before her attacker offends again. HER STORY >>

TAMEKA Ridgeway says she has no doubt the man who repeatedly raped her and murdered her fiance will strike again.

Jamie John Curtis, who tortured Ms Ridgeway in 1986 before stabbing her boyfriend Dean Allie to death, has been a free man since January this year, although subject to parole for the rest of his life.

Ms Ridgeway has now joined a national campaign calling for mandatory life sentences for rapist-murderers, noting it’s “just a question of time” before Curtis reoffends.

She said she hopes Tasmania will be the first state to change its laws and allow no chance of parole for violent criminals like Curtis.

“It could be anyone. It will be whoever gets in his way next, or whoever happens to be there at the time he goes off,” Ms Ridgeway told the Mercury.

“I think it will be soon.”

Ms Ridgeway has teamed up with the sister of murdered rape victim Anne-Marie Culleton in the campaign for mandatory life sentencing.

Tameka Ridgeway has joined a national push for mandatory life sentences for rapist-murderers. Picture: Richard Jupe

Eileen Culleton is making a national push for the law reform, with a change.org petition already attracting more than 5500 signatures since she launched the campaign in November last year.

She said sexual assaults that occurred in murder cases needed to be tried as different crimes, rather than just as a secondary, aggravating feature of murder.

In 1988, Ms Culleon’s sister was raped and killed in Darwin, in her own bed, by Jonathan Bakewell, whose parole has been cancelled after repeated arrests for breaching his release conditions.

“The fight is never over. Once Bakewell gets a new non-parole period he will be able to reapply for parole and I will be fighting for the rest of my (or his) life to keep him behind bars. This is why we need this new law, to keep the community safe, ” she said.

“Life sentencing for murder with sexual assault is the strongest message society can send that we have a zero tolerance for rape crimes.”

Eileen Culleton is leading the push for national law reform. Picture: Liana Boss

Curtis was released for a second time from Risdon Prison on January 27 this year, with the Parole Board of Tasmania noting he’d been described as suffering “psychopathic traits” and that his crimes were a “worst-type case”, but was also described as “polite” and “respectful” in jail and had attained medium security classification.

His previous stint on parole, before he was taken back into custody, was a period that had left Ms Ridgeway in crippling fear.

“When he was released the first time, I was terrified. I withdrew, I didn’t go to work, I didn’t do anything,” she said.

“It’s not a question of if Curtis will reoffend, but when. I do not believe men like Curtis who commit rape and murder can be rehabilitated.

“The women of Tasmania deserve to be safe.”

Earlier this year, Tasmania’s state government made changes to its Dangerous Criminals legislation making it easier to lock up criminals like Curtis for life.

However, the changes could not be rushed through quickly enough before Curtis had become eligible to apply for parole.

Jamie John Curtis. Picture: Supplied

Attorney-General Elise Archer said the Liberal government had tried to pass mandatory sentencing in the past but had been blocked by the opposition.

She said she’d met with Ms Ridgeway and other survivors and was currently seeking advice on any further action that could be taken to “ensure our sentencing laws reflect community expectations”.

Ms Archer also noted the government had passed amendments to the Dangerous Criminals legislation, which allowed for indefinite detention, but would consider “stronger action” if required.

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