How do we say “Thanks” to the Morcombes?

For ten years the Morcombes have celebrated the Day for Daniel, and today we have to thank them, for letting us in and for providing an enormous community service to us all.  One for which we should all be incredibly grateful.   But why does it seem so wrong to say thanks at a time like this?   The real ‘Day for Daniel’ was yesterday.  Yesterday was the day that made everyone’s heart break, as the guilty verdict was finally handed down to Brett Cowan for the horrific murder of Daniel Morcombe.

And the battle to bring justice for Daniel is finally laid to rest in the hearts of his family and all those involved in the investigation that has spanned more than ten years.

Today, the day after,  we have to remember what Daniel stands for and be grateful.  For Daniel’s memory carries a little story for all of us.  The tear that wells in my eye when I think of Daniel and who he could be today is very personal to me.  So is the one that wells in your eye.  You see, we all have a Daniel in our lives.  We all have a loved young child or grandchild that we are trying to teach independence to.  We all have the hope that our kids and grandkids can be afforded a little freedom and explore the world with safety in their local area.  And we all house a desperate fear that a special loved one could suddenly and without warning, could disappear.

Daniel’s story, and the fact that it happened to an everyday family like the Morcombes, in an everyday area like Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast makes it something we could all connect with.

I have a much younger brother the same age as Daniel would be today.  At the time Daniel was abducted he lived just a kilometre or two from the bus stop in question.  My brother is a mature, working, father of one who is now 24 years old.

Bruce and Denise will no doubt always wonder what might have happened if they hadn’t given their son a little space and freedom that day to do his own Christmas shopping and get a haircut.  Hopefully, they can find their peace in the fact that this horrible horrible man will no longer have any freedom and they have given all their hearts and efforts to the cause of stranger danger.  But it does not change anything.

The victim impact statements that were read out to the courtroom yesterday in Brisbane will send chills down your spine and curl up your heart.  They will make you want to reach out and do something, whatever you can for Denise and Bruce Morcombe and the Morcombe family.   But what can we do?   It seems all we can do is honour the cause for Daniel and say thanks so much to Denise and Bruce.  We can donate a little to the cause, so they can continue their efforts to educate Australian children of the risks.  We can wear red, and support the Day for Daniel and any fundraisers with vigour, and more importantly we can join in their efforts and make sure younger people understand the risks of talking to strangers.

And so, today we say “Thank you” to Bruce and Denise.  And we wish you all the best for the future.

We thank you for taking up the fight for Daniel and teaching children nationwide about the stranger dangers in everyday life.  We thank you for giving back at your time of suffering and horror.  We thank you for allowing the public to reach inside your world and feel your pain, because in feeling it we all want to prevent it ever happening to any child again.

You can read their victim statements below, read out in court yesterday.

Bruce Morcombe stood up in court and made his statement, on delivery of the verdict yesterday.

“Nothing about my life today resembles how we enjoy our lives today … we are no longer the same people.’’

According to news reports, Mr Morcombe said the family had to sell its business, move from their home and could not return to their employment.

“You picked on the wrong family, our collective determination to find Daniel and expose a child killer was always going to win.”

“I often wonder about the other victims that you have left in your wake,’’ he said.

“I have sat watching you in the same court for close to 40 days. Throughout that time you have been completely devoid of any remorse on what you did to Daniel.

“Sitting in the same room as you revolts me. How you sit there day after day almost frozen in the one position is chilling,’’ he said.

“Predators like you cannot be rehabilitated.’’

He labelled him a “perverted, cold-blooded child-killing’’ paedophile.

Denise Morcombe had her statement read out:

“For years I haven’t slept more than three hours at a time, I have lived and breathed each day to find the answers.”

“I see my son lying by himself in that dark eerie bushland being devoured by wild animals … you Mr Cowan, have no respect for human life.’’

“Mr Cowan only you know Daniel’s last look in his eyes as you choked him to death but I can only imagine.”

Her statement said Cowan’s actions had destroyed her family.

“We all know one person is not there and we will never recover from that.”

“Mr Cowan I saw you smiling with your son … and wife … you had a smirk like nothing had happened, a happy family snap, meanwhile my family was living in hell searching for a son who was dead.’’

Ms Morcombe in her statement said she hoped Cowan had “a lonely life’’.

“Your mistake was you picked on Daniel to release your animalistic perverted needs,’’ she said.

“That was your mistake you evil, evil unhuman thing.’’

“If there is a God and he knows the love a mother who has a love for her son you will pay for your actions, you will pay big,’’ she said.