I escaped a cult – for years I didn't even realise I was in one
The next day these feelings came flooding back when I read a news story about a child in Queensland who died within a secretive cult, and the efforts of churches to expose coercion with their ranks.
'Good,' I thought, surprised but pleased at this attention being drawn to a reality that has thus far remained largely hidden.
For five years, from late adolescence into my early 20s, I was in a cult. And for decades, I have carried and hidden this early part of my life, feeling great shame that I was gullible enough to be lured into such a group, and even more ashamed of the grievous mental health struggles I experienced upon leaving, as I tried to rebuild my life from scratch.
There is a perception that someone who finds themselves in a cult is different to the rest of us – perhaps more naive or vulnerable. While to some extent this is true, as it was my own early trauma history and psychological vulnerability that made me responsive to the recruitment tactics used, I have also spoken to numerous people who had healthy and safe lives, but still found themselves in these groups.
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Many highly intelligent professionals have spoken to me of their time in organised high-control religious groups, and I have come to realise how common some of these groups are. But broadly, societal awareness of their existence is sorely lacking, perhaps led by misconceptions that cults demonstrate their strangest behaviours and beliefs openly for all to see.
In reality, most such groups will have a seemingly normal front, with stranger beliefs and coercion only appearing once you are embedded within the structure of the organisation and have bought into some of their beliefs. That's when they warn you that changing your mind now would cause distress.
The word 'cult' is often used unthinkingly. Cults are social groups that have extreme religious, spiritual or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Devotion to a particular person is another characteristic, and they are set apart from religious groups by the coercion and secrecy which characterises their actions. However, normal religious groups too can have these elements of coercion. Due to their secretive nature, it's difficult to determine how many cults operate in Australia, though estimates suggest approximately 3000, including some well-known ones such as The Family.
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Sydney Morning Herald
10 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A teacher, schemer, dreamer … but Des Hasler definitely isn't paranoid
″All great coaches are paranoid,' a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and fascinated coach-watcher, Sam North, once remarked. Repeat this statement to Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler and there is a prolonged pause while he considers the implications of his answer. He does not want to admit to paranoia and certainly not to greatness, having spent 47 years earning a reputation for humility in a code where big-headedness is a crime. I interrupt the long pause to remind him of his phone call to his great friend and rival football manager, Frank Ponissi, after learning the long-serving Storm official had been appointed to the NRL Pathways Committee around the time Melbourne was gifted a $10 million academy to develop young players. Hasler incorrectly linked the two, assuming Ponissi had used his position on the committee to win a big NRL grant for his club. Ponissi explained that the $10 million came from the Victorian government to develop pathways, especially for disadvantaged youth in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Still, Des will not concede he sees agendas everywhere in NRL land, or that he believes passionately in siege mentality. 'Frank and I go back a long way,' he explains, suggesting he was setting his up former Manly coaching colleague while also agitating for the Titans to gain a place on the powerful committee. 'The fact he thinks I am paranoid makes it more delicious. I told him I couldn't understand how a bloke from Melbourne who gets his young players from Queensland could be on an NRL Pathways Committee. I'm pleased my little phone call worked.' Riiiiiight. But if Hasler was playing an innocent game with an old colleague, he has grounds for paranoia, considering the blurry ethics involved when NRL agents seed stories with journalists in order to engineer moves for their client players and coaches to other clubs. The journo gains the clicks, and agent receives the commission. For most of this season, Hasler has coached with the proverbial axe above his head, following a story that the Gold Coast board can sack him if the teams fails to make the play-offs. No one I spoke to at the Titans has any knowledge of such a clause in his contract, but such stories can become self-fulfilling prophesies. As defeat builds on debilitating defeat, weak-minded players have a worthy scapegoat other than themselves and it ends in a win for the player manager when his client is appointed to replace the sacked coach. So, when the Titans came from 24 points down to lead four-times premiers Penrith 26-24 in round 22, only to lose when a Penrith trainer distracted their goal kicker after what should have been a penalty try, surely Des has the makings of a conspiracy theory. Maybe US movie director Oliver Stone could do a film on this. (After all, Des already has a book on him written by Booker Prize winner, Tom Keneally). But no. For a coach entitled to be nine-tenths empty after such a cruel result, he was positive. 'The upside for me was that it was there for all to see. It showed what we are building. People saw it.' Translation: the savvy board, chaired by old school footballer Dennis Watt, saw what would have been the biggest comeback in the club's history, a confirmation the team is playing for their coach. Furthermore, it followed a win away against the Warriors in Hasler's 500th game which, in turn, was preceded by televised Leichhardt dressing room scenes where Hasler dragged his players back from the showers for another tongue lashing, presumably because they didn't look sufficiently penitent after losing 21-20 to the Wests Tigers. Only the lifer coaches, like the Storm's Craig Bellamy, Souths Wayne Bennett and Canberra's Ricky Stuart are willing to risk humbling players. 'New age' coaches believe such sprays are counter-productive, forcing their charges to 'go into a shell'. But it worked. And in any case, the question for all football boards is always: would a replacement coach be any better? In a long conversation with Hasler, there are dips and detours and abrupt terminals and tributaries in a thoughtful stream of views and, despite the occasional tangle of words, there is deep passion for the game. He won't buy into the argument today's players are precious, calling their agent following the merest slight. 'I see what they do at training,' he said, explaining that while players are bigger and faster, the laws of physics are constant. 'They are so fast, so much fitter, much leaner, f---ing bigger. You see front rowers running 33km/h and weighing 115kgs collide. The contests are so physical. And the GPS data backs this up. The collisions are frighteningly fast.' I see the training collisions, too, but I also hear coaches complain about players unwilling to play with a minor twinge, or unwilling to commit in defence. 'I can understand them saying that,' Hasler says, 'but it's more a generational thing. Players today have so much information at their fingertips.' True, players sit in their cubicles post game, poring through their phone messages. He also sympathises with players regarding their defensive role, particularly with multi-camera coverage of games. 'All responsibility rests with the defensive player. The defensive choices are a lot more demanding today. A ball carrier could be falling and gets a clip on the head and the defensive player is in trouble.' A Herald reader, Hasler points to a recent column where Joey Johns, an Immortal and former halfback, conceded he has finally come round to the view clearing kickers have been given too much protection. Both cite the round 20 match where Storm captain Harry Grant was penalised for brushing the leg of Manly kicker Luke Brooks. Both claim it cost Melbourne the match. 'When a kicker doesn't have any pressure, he can kick the ball 60m to 70m. A team behind can easily be brought back into the game with a good kick and the six-again rule.' Many old footballers believe repeat sets, via tip-offs from the bunker to the referee, balance the scoreboard. They contend that five years of the six again/penalty convention has normalised the evening out of contests, with fans actually expecting repeat sets to square scores within games and even within series of games. A high penalty count in Perth evened this year's State of Origin series and there was widespread condemnation of the referee in the second Wallabies versus British and Irish Lions Test for not awarding Australia a penalty which would have set up a decider in Sydney. Hasler agrees the referee is not accountable for six-agains because they are ruled on the run. However, for a coach accused of being paranoid, he says, 'It's not as if they are used to even up the game. They control the fatigue factor. They control the momentum swings.' He argues a team needs a good game manager to exploit these oscillations and he has finally found one, switching former fullback Jayden Campbell to halfback. He cites the comeback against the Panthers, saying 'We came up with an unforced error and Penrith had the ball for 27 tackles straight. Once you get the ball back, you need a game manager. You need players who can play instinctively. Jayden Campbell did that. He was a stand-out.' But veteran Latrell Mitchell showed Campbell he still has much to learn in a 20-18 round 23 'Spoon Bowl' loss, when the Rabbitoh centre jolted the ball from his hands, saving a try. Aged 64, Hasler has the work ethic to shame a sherpa. Chairman Watt counsels me not to call him during a five-day turnaround, citing occasions he has worked through the night. Like other footballaholics, such as Bellamy and Bennett, Hasler shows no signs of slowing up in a career which began in Penrith. 'I started playing in 1980, finished with Tommy [Raudonikis] and Singo [John Singleton] at Wests in 1997. What a fun year that was. Then I started coaching with Manly in 2004 and have been doing it for 21 years.' In between were two premierships as a player with the Sea Eagles (1987 and 1996) and two as a coach with the club (2008 and 2011). He also took the Bulldogs to two grand finals (2012, 2014) before returning to Brookvale with messy departures at both clubs following legal settlements. There will be no messy departure from the Gold Cost at the end of this season, with the Titans owners, the Frizelle family saying in a statement: 'Des will be with us in 2026 as his contract states.' He's surfed every cultural wave, saying of today's generation, 'Connection and vulnerability is paramount with today's age and gender.' 'I'm timber walls and a metal roof. I'm just a battler, a tyre-kicker.' Des Hasler The Gold Coast has changed from a 'God's Waiting Room', aged demographic to a region whose schools are bulging. 'It's a developing region with young families moving in, especially since Covid,' Hasler says. It's similar to Penrith, where it all began for him. Asked if he is still a Fibro, he says, 'I'm timber walls and a metal roof. I'm just a battler, a tyre kicker.' Hmm. He might identify with the same social class, but he has changed tax brackets. When he arrived at Manly as a player, Noel 'Crusher' Cleal gave him the nickname 'Sorry'. Asked why, Hasler says, 'He reckons I was always saying sorry.' As a Penrith boy, perhaps he was apologetic in the presence of big name players at Brookvale and an Immortal in coach Bob 'Bozo' Fulton. As a coach, he acquired the nickname the 'nice Bozo', a reference to a kinder side to an identical relentless, ruthless streak. Yet, this ignores the companionship I had with Fulton and plays into rugby league's love of convenient mistruths. In later years, Hasler is nicknamed 'the Mad Scientist.' He has 'no idea' of its origin, unsure whether he is expected to split the uprights or the atom. Still, the great inventor, Thomas Edison was dreaming of his 1,094th patent when he died at age 84 and, like Hasler, Edison remained thoroughly modern to his last breath. No one tried to move him on for clickbait and a commission.
The Age
10 minutes ago
- The Age
A teacher, schemer, dreamer … but Des Hasler definitely isn't paranoid
″All great coaches are paranoid,' a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and fascinated coach-watcher, Sam North, once remarked. Repeat this statement to Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler and there is a prolonged pause while he considers the implications of his answer. He does not want to admit to paranoia and certainly not to greatness, having spent 47 years earning a reputation for humility in a code where big-headedness is a crime. I interrupt the long pause to remind him of his phone call to his great friend and rival football manager, Frank Ponissi, after learning the long-serving Storm official had been appointed to the NRL Pathways Committee around the time Melbourne was gifted a $10 million academy to develop young players. Hasler incorrectly linked the two, assuming Ponissi had used his position on the committee to win a big NRL grant for his club. Ponissi explained that the $10 million came from the Victorian government to develop pathways, especially for disadvantaged youth in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Still, Des will not concede he sees agendas everywhere in NRL land, or that he believes passionately in siege mentality. 'Frank and I go back a long way,' he explains, suggesting he was setting his up former Manly coaching colleague while also agitating for the Titans to gain a place on the powerful committee. 'The fact he thinks I am paranoid makes it more delicious. I told him I couldn't understand how a bloke from Melbourne who gets his young players from Queensland could be on an NRL Pathways Committee. I'm pleased my little phone call worked.' Riiiiiight. But if Hasler was playing an innocent game with an old colleague, he has grounds for paranoia, considering the blurry ethics involved when NRL agents seed stories with journalists in order to engineer moves for their client players and coaches to other clubs. The journo gains the clicks, and agent receives the commission. For most of this season, Hasler has coached with the proverbial axe above his head, following a story that the Gold Coast board can sack him if the teams fails to make the play-offs. No one I spoke to at the Titans has any knowledge of such a clause in his contract, but such stories can become self-fulfilling prophesies. As defeat builds on debilitating defeat, weak-minded players have a worthy scapegoat other than themselves and it ends in a win for the player manager when his client is appointed to replace the sacked coach. So, when the Titans came from 24 points down to lead four-times premiers Penrith 26-24 in round 22, only to lose when a Penrith trainer distracted their goal kicker after what should have been a penalty try, surely Des has the makings of a conspiracy theory. Maybe US movie director Oliver Stone could do a film on this. (After all, Des already has a book on him written by Booker Prize winner, Tom Keneally). But no. For a coach entitled to be nine-tenths empty after such a cruel result, he was positive. 'The upside for me was that it was there for all to see. It showed what we are building. People saw it.' Translation: the savvy board, chaired by old school footballer Dennis Watt, saw what would have been the biggest comeback in the club's history, a confirmation the team is playing for their coach. Furthermore, it followed a win away against the Warriors in Hasler's 500th game which, in turn, was preceded by televised Leichhardt dressing room scenes where Hasler dragged his players back from the showers for another tongue lashing, presumably because they didn't look sufficiently penitent after losing 21-20 to the Wests Tigers. Only the lifer coaches, like the Storm's Craig Bellamy, Souths Wayne Bennett and Canberra's Ricky Stuart are willing to risk humbling players. 'New age' coaches believe such sprays are counter-productive, forcing their charges to 'go into a shell'. But it worked. And in any case, the question for all football boards is always: would a replacement coach be any better? In a long conversation with Hasler, there are dips and detours and abrupt terminals and tributaries in a thoughtful stream of views and, despite the occasional tangle of words, there is deep passion for the game. He won't buy into the argument today's players are precious, calling their agent following the merest slight. 'I see what they do at training,' he said, explaining that while players are bigger and faster, the laws of physics are constant. 'They are so fast, so much fitter, much leaner, f---ing bigger. You see front rowers running 33km/h and weighing 115kgs collide. The contests are so physical. And the GPS data backs this up. The collisions are frighteningly fast.' I see the training collisions, too, but I also hear coaches complain about players unwilling to play with a minor twinge, or unwilling to commit in defence. 'I can understand them saying that,' Hasler says, 'but it's more a generational thing. Players today have so much information at their fingertips.' True, players sit in their cubicles post game, poring through their phone messages. He also sympathises with players regarding their defensive role, particularly with multi-camera coverage of games. 'All responsibility rests with the defensive player. The defensive choices are a lot more demanding today. A ball carrier could be falling and gets a clip on the head and the defensive player is in trouble.' A Herald reader, Hasler points to a recent column where Joey Johns, an Immortal and former halfback, conceded he has finally come round to the view clearing kickers have been given too much protection. Both cite the round 20 match where Storm captain Harry Grant was penalised for brushing the leg of Manly kicker Luke Brooks. Both claim it cost Melbourne the match. 'When a kicker doesn't have any pressure, he can kick the ball 60m to 70m. A team behind can easily be brought back into the game with a good kick and the six-again rule.' Many old footballers believe repeat sets, via tip-offs from the bunker to the referee, balance the scoreboard. They contend that five years of the six again/penalty convention has normalised the evening out of contests, with fans actually expecting repeat sets to square scores within games and even within series of games. A high penalty count in Perth evened this year's State of Origin series and there was widespread condemnation of the referee in the second Wallabies versus British and Irish Lions Test for not awarding Australia a penalty which would have set up a decider in Sydney. Hasler agrees the referee is not accountable for six-agains because they are ruled on the run. However, for a coach accused of being paranoid, he says, 'It's not as if they are used to even up the game. They control the fatigue factor. They control the momentum swings.' He argues a team needs a good game manager to exploit these oscillations and he has finally found one, switching former fullback Jayden Campbell to halfback. He cites the comeback against the Panthers, saying 'We came up with an unforced error and Penrith had the ball for 27 tackles straight. Once you get the ball back, you need a game manager. You need players who can play instinctively. Jayden Campbell did that. He was a stand-out.' But veteran Latrell Mitchell showed Campbell he still has much to learn in a 20-18 round 23 'Spoon Bowl' loss, when the Rabbitoh centre jolted the ball from his hands, saving a try. Aged 64, Hasler has the work ethic to shame a sherpa. Chairman Watt counsels me not to call him during a five-day turnaround, citing occasions he has worked through the night. Like other footballaholics, such as Bellamy and Bennett, Hasler shows no signs of slowing up in a career which began in Penrith. 'I started playing in 1980, finished with Tommy [Raudonikis] and Singo [John Singleton] at Wests in 1997. What a fun year that was. Then I started coaching with Manly in 2004 and have been doing it for 21 years.' In between were two premierships as a player with the Sea Eagles (1987 and 1996) and two as a coach with the club (2008 and 2011). He also took the Bulldogs to two grand finals (2012, 2014) before returning to Brookvale with messy departures at both clubs following legal settlements. There will be no messy departure from the Gold Cost at the end of this season, with the Titans owners, the Frizelle family saying in a statement: 'Des will be with us in 2026 as his contract states.' He's surfed every cultural wave, saying of today's generation, 'Connection and vulnerability is paramount with today's age and gender.' 'I'm timber walls and a metal roof. I'm just a battler, a tyre-kicker.' Des Hasler The Gold Coast has changed from a 'God's Waiting Room', aged demographic to a region whose schools are bulging. 'It's a developing region with young families moving in, especially since Covid,' Hasler says. It's similar to Penrith, where it all began for him. Asked if he is still a Fibro, he says, 'I'm timber walls and a metal roof. I'm just a battler, a tyre kicker.' Hmm. He might identify with the same social class, but he has changed tax brackets. When he arrived at Manly as a player, Noel 'Crusher' Cleal gave him the nickname 'Sorry'. Asked why, Hasler says, 'He reckons I was always saying sorry.' As a Penrith boy, perhaps he was apologetic in the presence of big name players at Brookvale and an Immortal in coach Bob 'Bozo' Fulton. As a coach, he acquired the nickname the 'nice Bozo', a reference to a kinder side to an identical relentless, ruthless streak. Yet, this ignores the companionship I had with Fulton and plays into rugby league's love of convenient mistruths. In later years, Hasler is nicknamed 'the Mad Scientist.' He has 'no idea' of its origin, unsure whether he is expected to split the uprights or the atom. Still, the great inventor, Thomas Edison was dreaming of his 1,094th patent when he died at age 84 and, like Hasler, Edison remained thoroughly modern to his last breath. No one tried to move him on for clickbait and a commission.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Children face accused murderer 31 years after mum died
The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 The children of a woman who was allegedly beaten and left to die three decades ago have expressed their relief after the man accused of her murder faced court. Mother of two Samantha Mizzi was found unresponsive by a passerby in bushes at the rear of a St Kilda property in Melbourne's southeast in March 1994. The 24-year-old from the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, near Bendigo, was taken to hospital but died the next morning. Police have been investigating the case for more than 30 years and earlier in 2025 issued a plea for more information on Ms Mizzi's death. A 67-year-old man was arrested in Ararat and charged with her murder and two counts of rape on Thursday. Court documents allege the man raped Ms Mizzi on March 29 and murdered her on March 30. He is understood to have previously been convicted of several sex offences and was labelled "a serious danger to the community" by a judge in 1998 for molesting and abducting a 10-year-old girl. A November 2023 suppression order prohibiting his identification is still in effect in the County Court, preventing the man being named in media reports. He faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, bald with a long grey beard and wearing a Fire Rescue T-shirt. Ms Mizzi's daughter and son watched him as they sat in the front row of the courtroom for the brief hearing. Defence lawyer Vanessa Parbhoo said the man had been prescribed anti-depressants and medication for his diabetes. She said he had seen a nurse, but only had medication for two or three days. The man was remanded in custody and will return to court on December 18 for a committal mention. Outside court, Ms Mizzi's children Steven and Tanille said they were relieved someone had finally been charged over their mother's violent death. "We're very grateful this person's in custody and we're going to take some time as a family to process and everything," Steven said. "We've got a long journey ahead. No one's safe from a crime of this nature." Tanille said: "It sends a very powerful message, if someone can be convicted after 31 years. It's a big deterrence. We're still processing so I don't really have the right words." Police will allege Ms Mizzi was severely beaten with an object and sexually abused before being stripped and left to die. Her belongings were stolen and the weapon used in her alleged murder was never found. She had travelled to St Kilda the previous day in a bid to earn money to support her children, who were at home being cared for by a friend. The arrest and charges highlight how detectives remained committed to holding violent offenders to account no matter how many years had passed, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. "It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
