A man who was a teenager when he murdered a 15-year-old girl as she was walking home from school almost two decades ago has been released from jail.
The killer was only 16 when he stabbed Tania Burgess 48 times in a frenzied attack on the New South Wales Central Coast in 2005.
He served 17 years at Cessnock jail after the sentence was reduced on appeal.
The law protects the identity of youth offenders even after they turn 18, which means Burgess’ killer can only be referred to as DL and any images of him must be blurred.
The now 32-year-old man will face intensive supervision under 15 bail conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.
“He gets to take no responsibility for anything that he’s done,” father Chris Burgess said.
Tania’s mother, Mandy Burgess, said she would never forget the face of her daughter’s killer, and says she has not had justice.
“Whether he was a youth at that age or 16 or now in his 30s as a man, I’ll never forget it,” she said.
A petition for law reform is underway to see those responsible for heinous crimes identified regardless of their age.