NSW Suppression Order Shielded Killer, Victim's Family Says
Parents Break Silence After Four-Year Legal Battle Over Gag Order
The parents of 10-year-old Bridgette Porter, murdered by a 14-year-old girl in Gunnedah, rural New South Wales, have spoken publicly for the first time after successfully overturning a suppression order they say served only to protect their daughter's killer.
Mr Dominic Porter told A Current Affair that the suppression order, which for four years prevented the family from discussing the case publicly, did absolutely nothing to protect them. He said the order protected the perpetrator and her family, and that is all it has done.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be identified due to her age, was found guilty of murder but was not held criminally responsible on mental health grounds. She was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia and dealt with under the Mental Health Act.
Day Release After Three Years in Secure Facility
The Porter family recently learned that their daughter's killer had been granted day release from a secure mental health facility after just three years. Under the legal process that found the teenager not criminally responsible, the family is required to attend six-monthly reviews of the killer's mental health status.
An inquest into the killing and its handling is set to begin in New South Wales.
Warning Signs Went Unaddressed Before Killing
Court documents revealed that in the years leading up to the killing, the 14-year-old exhibited increasingly concerning behaviour. She reported hearing a voice in her mind that told her to do things and described seeing a face in the dark with a big smile or sinister grin.
A statement of agreed facts tendered to the court indicated that prior to the incident, the teenager had not seen a psychiatrist or psychologist, though she was awaiting an appointment in Sydney. Family members recalled her as a happy and bright child who began displaying worrying and violent behaviour approximately four years before the killing.
Police Interview Captures Chilling Detachment
Body-worn camera footage captured the moments after Bridgette's death. When an officer asked the girl whether she understood what she had done, she responded calmly: Yep. Asked how she felt about it, the girl said: I don't feel anything.
Mr Porter said he cannot forget the police interview footage, in which the teenager sat silently as officers informed her she faced a murder charge for killing a girl who was close to her. He described being overrun with anger.
Father Reveals Devastating Personal Toll
Mr Porter revealed he has lost his employment and received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. He told the program he attempted to take his own life, saying he could not do it anymore and just wanted to be with Biddy.
He attributed much of his deterioration to the suppression of details surrounding his daughter's murder. People do not even know Biddy existed, he said. They do not know what happened to her. It was the least publicised murder in Australia.
Suppression Order Regime Under Scrutiny
The case raises significant questions about the operation of suppression orders in New South Wales and whether they serve the interests of victims' families. The NSW Supreme Court placed prohibitions on media publishing details of the injuries suffered by Bridgette in 2021.
The forthcoming inquest is expected to examine both the circumstances of the killing and the processes that followed, including the mental health care available to the teenager before the incident and the adequacy of support provided to the Porter family.