Inquiry Commences Amid Mixed Reactions
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has launched formal hearings to investigate a series of historical missing persons cases, exploring potential links to the late backpacker killer, Ivan Milat. The inquiry, spearheaded by Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham, comes as new witness accounts emerge regarding Milat’s activities in the 1970s.
The hearings follow a wave of public submissions, including testimony from a man identified as Mr. Clark. He recounted an incident in the mid-1970s where he and a friend were picked up by a driver they later identified as Milat. Clark stated that the driver’s demeanor shifted significantly after being pulled over by police for speeding, an event he believes may have inadvertently saved his life.
Concerns Over Procedural Impact
The inquiry faces significant pushback from law enforcement and victims’ advocacy groups. Retired homicide detective inspector Wayne Walpole, who was among the last to interview Milat before his death in 2019, has expressed skepticism. “You’ve got to have some credible evidence, some fact-based evidence if you’re going to go down this road,” Walpole noted, warning that the inquiry could provide false hope to families and distract from active, evidence-based investigations.
Martha Jabour, chief executive of the Homicide Victims Support Group, echoed these sentiments, questioning the utility of a parliamentary forum that lacks the power to compel evidence. Critics fear that tying unrelated cold cases to a deceased serial killer may stall progress on other potential leads, effectively shielding the actual perpetrators of those crimes.
Legislative Intent vs. Investigative Reality
MP Jeremy Buckingham maintains that the inquiry is necessary to address systemic gaps in how missing persons reports were handled in previous decades. The inquiry is currently reviewing dozens of cases, including the 1979 disappearance of Kay Docherty and Toni Cavanagh. As the committee prepares to visit the Belanglo State Forest, the debate persists: whether this inquiry represents a long-overdue pursuit of justice or an administrative burden that threatens to complicate the work of the Unsolved Homicide Unit.