Crime

Research reveals state where kids are most at risk of homicide

Jul 19, 2018

Queensland has been revealed as the Australian state with the most amount child homicide cases. Source: Getty

Queensland has been revealed as the state with the highest number of recorded child homicides in the country, with a quarter of all national child homicides taking place in the Sunshine State.

Each year a scarily high number of children are killed, often at the hands of loved ones in their own homes, but the latest figures released by the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council are sure to send a shiver down the spine of many, as findings show that those convicted of killing children face up to two years less in prison for their crimes than those who kill adults.

The figures show that those convicted of child manslaughter, on average, are sentenced to 6.8 years for their crimes, compared to 8.5 years for those who commit adult manslaughter. While manslaughter sentences were also more common for offenders who killed children (59.7 per cent) than adults (53.2 per cent).

On top of this, evidence from the National Monitoring Program identified a total of 19.5 per cent of national homicide incidents occurred in Queensland, and a whopping 25 per cent of all national child homicides from the period of July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2014.

The study also revealed that children in their first year of life are most at risk of becoming victims of homicide – which is defined as the act of one human killing another, whether accidentally or deliberately. Once they reach their mid to late teens another hike in these statistics is seen.

Unfortunately these crimes are far too common, with one of the most well-known cases in recent times being that of 12-year-old Tialeigh Palmer, who was murdered by her foster father Rick Thorburn.

The schoolgirl was found dead on the banks of a Gold Coast river in 2015, six days after she was first reported missing while she was in the care of Thorburn and his family.

The man who took Tialeigh’s life is currently serving a life sentence for killing the young girl after learning his son, Trent had had sex with Tialeigh and feared she may have been pregnant.

Recently it was revealed that Thorburn had been transferred to a different prison after claims his life was at risk.

It was reported the child killer may have been attacked by fellow inmates and even killed if he was to stay in the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre. Thorburn was also placed on suicide watch during the move to Woodford Correctional Centre.

While Tialeigh’s killer will remain behind bars for most likely the rest of his life, that isn’t the case for other child homicide offenders who walk free after less than a decade in prison.