George Halvagis – whose daughter Mersina was brutally murdered by serial killer Peter Dupas in 1997 – says a new law in NSW giving a homicide victim’s family a say in the killer’s sentence is a step in the right direction.

“Next time I’ll go to jail for him. For saving young lives, why not?”
George Halvagis

The state’s controversial new legislation was backed this week by Attorney-General Greg Smith and approved by the NSW cabinet.

“I’m all for it of course,” Mr Halvagis told Neos Kosmos. “The NSW government has taken a step forward.

“I would like the Victorian government to consider introducing a similar law.”

The NSW law allows judges to consider family victim impact statements when deciding the sentence in murder and manslaughter cases.
A state government spokesman said the law had been introduced as a result of consultation with victims’ groups.

Mr Halvagis has been a tireless campaigner to change Victoria’s parole system to ensure convicted murderers and sex offenders are not released prematurely, allowing them to attack and kill again.

Last week Mr Halvagis was one of a number of supporters who greeted controversial broadcaster Derryn Hinch on his release from jail after serving a 50-day sentence for contempt of court in relation to the case of Jill Meagher’s killer Adrian Bayley.

Mr Hinch and Mr Halvagis have been close friends since the broadcaster offered his support to the Halvagis family as they sought justice in the courts and Peter Dupas’ final conviction; a process that took more than 15 years.

Mr Hinch told Neos Kosmos that George’s tireless campaign over decades to help other victims of crime had been a source of inspiration.
“I’ve supported George and his wife Christina all through those years. He’s showed amazing courage.

“In the early days he looked like such a tortured soul, but as the years went by, he gave me a lot of strength,” said Mr Hinch who said the new NSW laws opened a glimmer of light for victims’ families and justice to be done.

“Any form of victim impact statement that can impress on a court the devastation a killer has wreaked is a step forward in sentencing,” he said.
Following his latest jail term, Mr Hinch’s focus he says is to help prepare a federal law for a national publicly-accessible sex offenders register. He plans to meet Prime Minister Tony Abbott about the issue after drawing up the legislation with a QC.

George Halvagis will be doing his utmost to see his fellow campaigner succeed.

“He was always there, always with me,” says George.

“I support Derryn all the way. Next time I’ll go to jail for him. For saving young lives, why not?”

“I still want the Victorian parole board to be changed – for half the board to be made up of ordinary citizens, but I want people also to know that when a prisoner walks out of jail – if they’re a paedophile, murderer or sex offender – that ‘joe bloggs’ is there next to them tomorrow.

“In the last 15 years some 20 girls have lost their lives due to parolees.We need to name and shame them. Right now we can’t get that.”

As a Crimestoppers ambassador George says his campaign to help prevent serious crime – and hold criminals to account in whatever way he can – will continue.

“I’m going to fight until the end of my life. If I can save one person’s life then I’ll be doing some good,” he says.

Meanwhile the new legislation in NSW marks a departure from a legal principle that all victims are equal.

Its critics say it will result in harsher sentences where a murder victim has a grieving family who can deliver a statement to the court, but George has little patience for such concerns.

Asked for his reaction to worries about infringing civil liberties and the need to protect an individual’s rights – albeit the rights of a convicted serial killer – George answers with a simple message:
“Who protects the rights of the people we’ve lost? Who protects my daughter’s rights? When they stabbed my daughter they stabbed me. Who protects my rights?”