THE family of murdered Wagga woman Janine Balding has lashed out at the latest bid to free two teenagers locked up for life for their horrific crime.
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Bronson Matthew Blessington and Matthew James Elliott were among a thrill-kill gang who abducted 20-year-old Ms Balding at knifepoint from near Sutherland railway station in 1988.
Ms Balding, who was working as a nurse in Sydney, was taken to a park near Minchinbury where she was raped and murdered.
The killing was one of the most horrific in the state's history.
Blessington was 14 at the time, while Elliott was 16.
They pleaded not guilty to murder, but were convicted after a trial and sentenced to life in prison.
Both are now in their 40s and have been behind bars for 26 years.
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) revealed on Saturday a new bid to secure freedom for Blessington and Elliott through the United Nations.
SMH reporter Tom Allard said lawyers from the Human Rights Law Centre in Australia have taken the cases of Blessington and Elliott to the UN’s Human Rights Committee.
The committee claims the life sentences breach several articles of the UN’s Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, arguing there is no genuine chance of release even if Blessington and Elliott are fully rehabilitated.
The UN committee has asked the federal government to review the case and has given it 180 days to respond.
The Balding family over the years has had to endure several attempts by Janine’s killers to taste freedom.
All bids have failed but each drags up painful memories for a grieving family.
Janine’s father, Kerry, on Sunday attacked the latest move.
“They should stay in prison,” Mr Balding said.
“It’s only the barristers and solicitors ... I don’t think they give two hoots for the people they represent.
“When they do this, it’s just beyond a joke.”
Mr Balding said the fact Blessington and Elliott were only teenagers when they killed Janine should not stand in the way of them being locked up until they die.
“It makes no difference; surely to God they knew what they were doing,” Mr Balding said.
At the same time, Mr Balding believes the money spent keeping the pair behind bars – $180,000 a year – could be better spent on people in the community.
Federal member for Riverina Michael McCormack said the freedom bid made his blood boil.
“It shows how out of touch some of these people are,” Mr McCormack said.
“These two took a beautiful young country girl with her whole life in front of her and killed her without remorse, without a thought.
“They did not give that kid a chance.
“They should be locked up for life and the key thrown away. They should never be allowed back into normal society.
“It beggars belief anyone should think they should be given parole.”
Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire said he believed the sentences imposed by the NSW courts were appropriate.
“As far as I am concerned they got the sentences right,” Mr Maguire said.
“The community believes the sentences are appropriate, and that is where it ends.”
The SMH said Blessington and Elliott could appeal to a NSW court in 2018 to have a date for a parole hearing set, but they can only be released by the parole board if they are about to die or are physically debilitated.