Once again the families of the three children murdered in Bowraville between September 1990 and February 1991 are climbing into their cars and heading to Sydney, to court.
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For 27 years they have fought for justice for their children, 16-year-old Colleen Walker, four-year-old Evelyn Greenup and 16-year-old Clinton Speedy-Duroux.
There have been many obstacles, not least racism, police conduct and resourcing plus the complexities of the justice system, but the families say they are hopeful this will be the opening of the final act.
We have already been waiting for 27 years – we are good at it, we have made it an art form.”
- Michelle Jarrett
“I would say we are feeling anxious and stressed but also quietly confident,” Michelle Jarrett, Evelyn’s aunt, said.
“We are certainly happy to be back in court.
“The result (whether the case will go to retrial) will be announced in February next year.
“It’s more waiting but we have already been waiting for 27 years – we are good at it, we have made it an art form.”
Tomorrow, Wednesday, the families will watch from the public gallery of the Banco Court as a special four-day hearing of the Court of Criminal Appeal listens to evidence presented in an effort to have two previous court findings of not guilty quashed and the case ordered for retrial.
It will be the first time that evidence about all three murders has been heard together … something the families and the police say is key to a positive outcome.
The previous separation of the trials into the murders of Clinton (1994) and Evelyn (2006) meant that juries never heard about alleged similarities between them.
Earlier this month around 300 people gathered to dedicate the renewed James Park to the memory of Evelyn Greenup.
The memorial is a quintessential part of the healing process as outlined by the final recommendation in the 2014 NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the murders, to fund and maintain memorials to each of the three children. Evelyn’s was the last to be completed.
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