Nicole Zuritta’s friend was murdered in one of Australia’s most notorious serial killings, turning her world upside down. Almost three decades on, she wants to reframe the way victims of the Snowtown murders are remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The South Australian Parole Board announced its decision on Tuesday afternoon, but Vlassakis will not be immediately released into the community.<\/p>\n
Parole Board chair Frances Nelson KC said there is a 60-day period during which the SA Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Victims’ Rights and Police Commissioner could ask for an appeal.<\/p>\n
“He would then go to the pre-release centre for up to 12 months,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve had a look at the legislative criteria and, in our view, he meets the criteria.<\/p>\n
“We have to look at whether or not he presents a risk to the community and in our assessment he does not. His institutional behaviour has been excellent.”<\/p>\n
SA Parole Board Chair Frances Nelson KC said she thinks Vlassakis is \u201cgenuinely remorseful\u201d and that his\u00a0\u00a0\u201cinstitutional behaviour has been excellent\u201d.\u00a0 (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Ms Nelson said she believed Vlassakis was “genuinely remorseful”.<\/p>\n
“Don’t forget he has done it hard in prison, because he gave evidence against Bunting and Wagner,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said while she understood while families and victims opposed his release, it was not the role of the parole board to decide on punishment.<\/p>\n
“Many victims have the view that someone hasn’t really got a long enough sentence and they shouldn’t be released, but that isn’t a matter that should even feature for the parole board \u2014 it would usurp the function of the courts,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The court does not have to set out a non-parole period but they did in his case, and they set a much reduced non-parole period for reasons which are set out in the sentencing remarks.”<\/p>\n
‘Geographic exclusion zones’ and curfew<\/p>\n
Ms Nelson outlined strict restrictions which Vlassakis would be required to adhere to.<\/p>\n
“There will be some geographic exclusion zones which the victims have requested, there would be condition that he’s not to contact any of the victims \u2014 not that I think for a moment that he would, but that does give them some reassurance,” she said.<\/p>\n
“He would [also] have to obey the rules of the pre-release centre which includes a curfew.”<\/p>\n
In May 1999, SA Police discovered the decomposing remains of several victims in six plastic barrels hidden in an old bank vault at Snowtown.<\/p>\n
Nearly all the murder victims were friends or family of the perpetrators.<\/p>\n
Vlassakis, whose image remains suppressed and who is now aged in his mid-40s, was 19 when he committed the crimes and was found guilty of being involved in four of the murders.<\/p>\n
He was jailed for life, but because he had helped authorities, he was given a 26-year non-parole period.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Snowtown murders accomplice Mark Ray Haydon was released last year. (ABC News: Che Chorley)<\/p>\n
He became involved in the serial killings through his stepfather Bunting, who lived with him and his mother in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.<\/p>\n
Bunting and Wagner were jailed for 11 and 10 murders respectively, while accomplice Mark Ray Haydon was released into the community last year after serving a 25-year sentence.<\/p>\n
Ms Nelson said last year that neither Bunting nor Wagner had shown any contrition for their crimes, and she added that they were “obviously very unpleasant people”.<\/p>\n
“I don’t get the impression that either of them is particularly remorseful for what they did,” she said.<\/p>\n
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