When Rebekah Porter, mother of 10-year-old Bridgette "Biddy" Porter initiated the campaign seeking justice for her precious little girl, she could not have imagined how deeply Biddy's tragic story would touch the hearts of so many, with media and the community throwing their full support behind the #Justice4BiddyPorter campaign.
After four agonising years since Biddy's brutal killing at the hands of a young person she trusted, today, less than two months after Advocacy Australia launched the Justice for Biddy Porter campaign, the NSW Parliament e-petition has achieved the minimum 20,000 signatures required for Independent MP for Orange, Philip Donato, to present it for debate on the floor of NSW Parliament.
In a first for NSW, the Justice for Biddy Porter e-petition is calling for Parliamentary Inquiries into the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) handling of the case against Biddy's killer, the Mental Health Review Tribunal's (MHRT) lack of transparency and accountability; reform of the Department of Communities and Justice Victims' Support Services (VSS); and a Coronial Inquest into the circumstances surrounding Biddy's death.
Philip Donato MP who sponsored the petition said, "Enduring the loss of their daughter and knowing the horrific circumstances in which she died is traumatic enough for Biddy's parents - the living victims of this heinous crime.
"However, to then be faced with the apparent failures of state-based agencies and the unbalanced support between the offender and Biddy's parents, I felt compelled to do whatever I could to assist them in seeking justice for their daughter and to help prevent other families from being let-down by the same systems," said Mr Donato.
"In taking the Justice for Biddy Porter e-petition to parliament, we hope to deliver justice for Biddy and affect much needed reform that will help the many current and future victims of serious crimes throughout NSW," he said.
Comforted by the overwhelming support for Biddy's campaign, Rebekah Porter said, "Biddy's campaign holds immense significance for me because it's given Biddy back her name, her precious face, her voice and her identity which was erased four years ago to protect her killer."
"In shedding light on the failures of systems that should have brought justice to my little girl, and supported us, her family, but instead continues to fail us and many other victims throughout NSW, Biddy's campaign for justice extends well beyond my little girl's case.
"Through the Justice for Biddy Porter e-petition over 20,000 NSW residents including children have added their voices to our calls for reform to how all victims are treated and heard in a system that continues to fail us - it is a call for change and a tribute to the memory of my beloved daughter, Biddy," said Ms Porter.
"By advocating for justice, transparency, and accountability in all cases of serious crimes, we are not only seeking closure for Biddy but also striving to ensure that other victims and their families are not let down by the agencies whose role it is to seek justice for victims and meet community expectations," she said.
"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support and dedication of Advocacy Australia, Philip Donato and his team, the people of Orange and the wider community of NSW – all have been a beacon of hope and strength during this difficult time.
"Reflecting on where I was just over a year ago and feeling so helpless, to now see Biddy's story in media and being talked about by people she never knew; and to see more than 20,000 people from across NSW add their voices to ours enabling our petition to be presented in Parliament; has been a journey that's filled my heart with both sorrow for the loss of my precious daughter and hope that through Biddy's campaign we will reform a broken system that favours killers over victims," Ms Porter said.
Clare Collins, Chair of Advocacy Australia said, "Sadly, Biddy's family's circumstances are not unique. With a chasm of inequity between victims of heinous crimes and perpetrators, there's something terribly wrong when NSW Government agencies with the responsibility to defend victims' rights, fail to meet community expectations.
"The community's widespread support for the Justice for Biddy Porter e-petition and our Outside NSW Supporters Register is testimony to the community's views that no public servant or service should be above public scrutiny and accountability when it comes to seeking justice and reform of services that are failing victims.
"In supporting Biddy's petition, more than 20,000 people from across NSW and 1500 outside NSW, have added their voice to ours calling for MPs to meet community expectations and support what we hope will be a significant benchmark in creating essential change to help Biddy's parents and all victims of serious crimes who continue to suffer year-in and year-out in every community throughout the state," she said.
"With wide-spread community support for our e-petition calling for Parliamentary Inquiries, we hope all members of NSW Parliament will reflect the community's view and support the call for inquiries to deliver justice for Biddy Porter and her family, and long-awaited reform that can deliver justice to so many more victims who have continued to suffer in silence for far too long," Ms Collins said.
