It is expected that New South Wales will pass proposed laws that will make it “impossible” for convicted murderers to be granted parole if they refuse to disclose the whereabouts of the remains of their victims after being sentenced to life in prison for their crimes.
The former teacher Chris Dawson, who was convicted guilty of the murder of his wife in 1982, was the impetus behind the implementation of the “no body, no parole” guidelines.
The issue came to the forefront as a result of the high-profile case involving Dawson’s wife, Lynette.
The dead body of Lynette Dawson has never been discovered.
According to Dominic Perrottet, the Premier of New South Wales, offenders would be required to cooperate with investigators and divulge the location of remains in order to have any chance of being released on parole.
According to the proposed laws, the State Parole Authority (SPA) will not release the prisoner until it considers that the criminal has sufficiently cooperated in locating the whereabouts of the victim. This determination must be made before the SPA may release the prisoner.
All present and future inmates in New South Wales who have not yet been assessed for possible release would be subject to the new guidelines.
“Any convicted offender who is going to be eligible for parole in the near future should really think hard about retaining their reluctance to cooperate with police if they want to retain their prospects of receiving parole,” said Geoff Lee, who is the Minister of Corrections in Australia.