Australia's Snowtown murderer James Vlassakis granted parole after 26 years in jail

RNZ News

2 days ago

Eight bodies were found in acid-filled barrels in a disused bank vault at Snowtown in May 1999.
Photo:
ABC / Che Chorley
Convicted Snowtown murderer James Vlassakis has been granted parole after serving 26 years in jail.
Vlassakis was the youngest of the four perpetrators involved in South Australia's (SA) "bodies-in-the-barrels" serial killings between 1992 and 1999.
He was also the key prosecution witness against killers John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who are serving life sentences without the prospect of parole.
The South Australian Parole Board announced its decision on Tuesday afternoon, but Vlassakis won't be immediately released into the community.
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 appeal.
"He would then go to the pre-release centre for up to 12 months," she said.
"We've had a look at the legislative criteria and, in our view, he meets the criteria.
"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."
SA Parole Board Chair Frances Nelson KC said she thinks Vlassakis is 'genuinely remorseful' and that his 'institutional behaviour has been excellent'.
Photo:
ABC News
Ms Nelson said she believed Vlassakis was "genuinely remorseful".
"Don't forget he has done it hard in prison, because he gave evidence against Bunting and Wagner," she said.
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.
"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 - it would usurp the function of the courts," she said.
"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."
Ms Nelson outlined strict restrictions which Vlassakis would be required to adhere to.
"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 - not that I think for a moment that he would, but that does give them some reassurance," she said.
"He would [also] have to obey the rules of the pre-release centre which includes a curfew."
In May 1999, SA Police discovered the decomposing remains of several victims in six plastic barrels hidden in an old bank vault at Snowtown.
Nearly all the murder victims were friends or family of the perpetrators.
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.
He was jailed for life, but because he had helped authorities, he was given a 26-year non-parole period.
Eight bodies were found in acid-filled barrels in a disused bank vault at Snowtown in May 1999.
Photo:
ABC / Che Chorley
He became involved in the serial killings through his stepfather Bunting, who lived with him and his mother in Adelaide's northern suburbs.
Co-accused Bunting and Wagner were jailed for 11 and 10 murders respectively, as well as accomplice Mark Ray Haydon, who was released into the community last year after serving a 25-year sentence.
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".
"I don't get the impression that either of them is particularly remorseful for what they did," she said.
-
ABC