Eileen launched the South Australia law reform campaign calling for murder with sexual assault to be made a separate crime with a sentence of mandatory life with no parole in April 2021.
She was motivated to launch the campaign after her sister’s rapist murderer Jonathan Bakewell was taken into custody after a fifth parole breach for drug taking, after having been released multiple times into the community. Eileen had been fighting to keep him behind bars since his second breach.
Since 2019 Eileen had been campaigning for Bakewell’s parole to be cancelled after multiple breaches for taking the same drugs he took the night he murdered Eileen’s sister Anne-Marie Culleton.
After getting nowhere with the SA Parole Board or the SA Government (former Liberal government), Eileen launched a national campaign calling for law reform for murder with sexual assault to be made a stand alone crime with a mandatory life sentence with no parole. The law reform campaign received media coverage in print, radio and TV news.
Fiveaa David and Will Breakfast
ABC News Adelaide
ABC Breakfast Radio Adelaide
The Australian
Responses by the government and the opposition
Labor Government
In May 2021 Eileen received a commitment from the SA Premier Peter Malinauskas (when he was Opposition Leader) and Kyam Maher (then Shadow Attorney General) to work with her on this potential law reform. This was reported in The Australian.
To date no progress has yet been made. Eileen Culleton looks forward to progressing this law reform now the Labor party is in power.
Liberals
Former SA Attorney General Vickie Chapman rejected the law reform call outright.
https://10play.com.au/theproject/articles/attorney-general-statements/tpa201125khbpr
Eileen Culleton will continue to reach out to the Liberals, now in Opposition because she strongly believes women’s safety and this law reform to protect women from rape and murder should be a non partisan issue. Eileen Culleton is committed to working with all parties across the nation to implement this critical law reform for women’s safety.
Background information on Eileen’s SA campaign
Parole Board releases Bakewell for the fifth time in June 2021
For the fifth time, in June 2021, the South Australia Parole Board released rapist murderer Jonathan Bakewell back into the community. Outraged, Eileen campaigned again in the media, renewing her call for law reform as the only way to guarantee community safety. The campaign received coverage on TV, radio and print.
10 News Adelaide
Convicted rapist and murderer Jonathan Bakewell is back on the streets of Adelaide after being released from prison today. | @inglis_cam pic.twitter.com/4e8eXOy5vT
— 10 News First Adelaide (@10NewsFirstAdl) June 15, 2021
7 News Adelaide
7 News Adelaide 15 June 2021
Radio Fiveaa David and Will Breakfast
The Advertiser
SA Labor commitment to consider the law reform
In May 2021 Eileen received a commitment from the SA Labor Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas and Shadow Attorney General Kyam Maher to work with her on this potential law reform.
Petition Update
Bakewell parole finally cancelled after 6th breach in Oct 2021
In October 2021 after Bakewell breached again for the sixth time and his parole was finally cancelled, Eileen campaigned again for law reform, arguing that it was only a matter of time before Bakewell would be granted parole again and be back on the streets and a risk to women.
This coincided with her murdered sister Anne-Marie Culleton’s birthday, 27 October. Once again the law reform campaign was included in the media coverage.
9 News Adelaide
7 News Adelaide
Radio Fiveaa David and Will Breakfast
Petition update
Bakewell supreme court application for new non parole period
On 31 January 2022, only 3 months after Bakewell’s parole was cancelled after 6 parole breaches for taking the same drug he took the night he raped and murdered Anne-Marie Culleton, Bakewell appeared before the Supreme Court to apply for a new non-parole period.
Nine News Adelaide
Eileen Culleton was not even advised and was outraged. The first she heard was when she was contacted by the media for comment. She contacted the DPP requesting to make a submission and also went to the media with her call for Bakewell’s parole application to be refused.
The Advertiser
Fiveaa David and Will Breakfast Radio
Eileen Culleton makes a victim impact statement at Supreme Court hearing for Bakewell’s parole application
Facing her sister’s rapist murderer for the first time in 34 years Eileen Culleton appeared before the Supreme Court reading out her victim impact statement in which she pleaded with the Chief Justice to refuse to grant Bakewell a new nonparole period.
Read the Victim Impact Statement here:
Eileen also spoke to the media after the court hearing in which the judge deferred his decision to a later date.
Ten News First Adelaide
ABC Adelaide TV News and Online
7 News Adelaide
The Advertiser
Bakewell given green light for parole by Director of Public Prosecutions and Chief Justice
Eileen Culleton was outraged that the South Australia Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton and the Chief Justice Chris Kourakis gave the green light to rapist murderer Jonathan Bakewell to be given parole after having it cancelled for 6 drug breaches.
Speaking to the media on 21 April 2022 Eileen called for the Attorney General Kyam Maher to take action by calling an urgent review into the Director of Public Prosecutions handling of the case.
Nine News Adelaide 21 April 2022
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1628850590815156
ABC News Adelaide TV and online
The Advertiser
Bakewell parole release pending appeal by Attorney General
Bakewell has applied again for parole after finally having it cancelled after numerous breaches and the parole board have decided to release him. I am calling on the Attorney General Kyam Maher to appeal this decision and to call for an independent review of the parole board’s handling of this case. , I am also campaigning for parole reform for rapist murderers to never be released on parole.
How to help the SA Law Reform Campaign
Your voice has power in telling the politicians that South Australia’s current sentencing is not in line with community expectations for crimes of murder with sexual assault and that you want this law reform to keep rapist murderers behind bars for life.
Please consider the following actions:
Sign the Petition
By signing and sharing the petition Life For Rapist Murderers you will help send a collective message to the politicians that this is an issue that is important to the community
Contact politicians
You may also want to call or email them to ask them for their commitment to support this law reform.
South Australia Attorney General
Hon Kyam Maher
Email: AttorneyGeneral@sa.gov.au
Phone: 08 7332 7050