On January 7, 2006, pregnant mother-of-one Jody Galante was reported missing by her husband Mark. A week later Jody’s body was found in bushland at Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains. She had died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Police investigated the murder and made an arrest…
Whistleblower Gillian Sneddon
Gillian Sneddon told the police about child sex allegations involving former NSW minister Milton Orkopoulos in late 2006. This led to her being ostracised by her party and the NSW Government. She was fired by the NSW Parliament on same day she took the stand in Orkopoulos’s trial and is…
NSW Police, a big group of teenagers and the ensuing riot
Catalogue of police blunders at party that was broken up Police tried to suppress details of their baton-wielding reaction to a teen dance event, but freedom-of-information laws have exposed the embarrassing details. Read more… I’ve had mixed results with freedom-of-information laws. On this ocassion I was able to get a…
Rougher-than-usual justice
Rape victims can throw up or be brought to tears by the tactics of opposing lawyers. Katy’s stepfather had sexually abused her from the age of nine until she left home at 21. He was initially found guilty of indecent assault and rape, but the conviction was overturned on appeal…
Crisis in care series
The “crisis in care” series examined the problems within the Victorian Department of Human Services and the impact these problems had on the children, young people, parents and carers who have to deal with the department. The articles were written with William Birnbauer and published in The Sunday Age. The…