Tania Burgess' teen killer granted parole
The teen who stabbed Tania Burgess to death while she walked home from school on the Central Coast has been granted parole. It has been nearly 17 years after her murder.
The NSW State Parole Authority said intensive supervision of the convicted murderer known as DL, including around the clock electronic monitoring, is critical in keeping the community safe.
DL has been in custody since he was 16. He is now 32, and with no period of maturing in the community he is likely "institutionalised", according to an expert report.
Tania was only 15 when she hopped off a school bus and walked through the car park of Forresters Beach Resort on the 19th of July 2005. DL caught the same bus, followed her and stabbed her 48 times.
As the offence occurred when DL was a minor he cannot be named for legal reasons. He was arrested that evening and was convicted by a jury at trial and jailed for at least 17 years serving a maximum term of 22 years.
This was reduced on appeal by four years in 2018, meaning he has been eligible for parole since mid 2018.
During a hearing, Justice James Wood extended the parole authority's deepest sympathies to Tania's parents who were present in court.
Justice Wood accepted the expert advice from the Serious Offenders Review Council that strongly advised DL should be released with supervision before his full-time sentence expired.
This decision to release DL with supervision comes despite vocal objections from the likes of 2GB's Ben Fordham, who said that DL should "never be released". His release will also come as a shock to the local community.
The Serious Offenders Review Council have shared: "The priority is now supervision to foster his reintegration and the protection of the public."
DL must provide authorities daily notifications of all his movements and engage with forensic psychologist treatment along with other strict conditions.
He is due to be released on August the 1st, 2022.
Images: Nine Network