Convicted Murderer Loses Grave Rights in Landmark Victoria State Ruling

In a landmark decision, Victoria, Australia, has stripped the rights of convicted murderer Robert Farquharson over the graves of his three young sons. Farquharson, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 33 years for driving his children, Jai, Tyler, and Bailey, into a dam in 2005, had maintained control of the children's gravesite. This is the first time a criminal has had such rights revoked under a new state law.

The law amendment, introduced to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003, gives families the power to prevent killers and serious criminals from making decisions about the graves or memorials of their familial victims. This legislation was enforced by the Victorian Department of Health Secretary, Euan Wallace, on January 4, following its passage in March 2021. The amendment was partly introduced due to concerns raised by the family of Karen Ristevski, who was killed by her husband, Borce, who then retained control over her grave.

A Turning Point in Recognizing Coercive Control

This new legislation not only protects families from further pain and suffering inflicted by the offender but also marks a turning point in recognizing and combating coercive controlling behaviors by offenders. Instances where murderers retain control over their victims' graves can be seen as a continuation of their control and dominance, even in death.

Stephen Moules, the husband of the boys' now-deceased mother, Cindy Gambino Moules, has expressed relief at the decision. He sees this as a precedent for other families of victims, offering them hope and a way to reclaim control from the perpetrators. The new laws have been widely described as a significant step forward in protecting victims' families and countering the damaging impacts of serious crimes.