THE wheels of justice can turn slowly.
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And so it has proved in the case of Vincent Stanford, the depraved killer of Leeton schoolteacher Stephanie Scott.
On Wednesday, more than 14 months after he callously snatched away her life, Stanford finally admitted his guilt.
The admission will provide a modicum of comfort to Ms Scott’s loved ones, who have endured more anguish than any person should ever have to.
But closure remains a distant horizon.
How can there be closure when the macabre details of how Ms Scott was killed will forever sit in the minds of her family and friends like a shard of glass?
How can there be closure when Stanford is likely to walk free from prison by the time he’s in his 40s or 50s, with decades still left in his life?
Where’s the justice in that?
Stanford’s crime was as grievous as it gets.
He raped and killed Ms Scott for no other reason than to feed his demented desires.
It was also a premeditated murder.
Stanford planned it meticulously, buying a training sword, a knife, handcuffs and cleaning products online in the lead-up to the fateful day.
Sickeningly, he also bought Viagra, presumably so he could “perform” during the sexual assault.
Striking a balance between punishment and rehabilitation is a delicate high-wire act for judges and magistrates.
But Stanford has forfeited his right to rehabilitation.
He should also have forfeited his right to ever walk free again.
He should be locked in a cage for the term of his natural life, like the animal he is.
Ms Scott’s loved ones should at least take solace from the fact that in death, just as in life, she has touched so many lives.
Her story resonated across the nation because of the extraordinary circumstances of her death and the ordinary circumstances of her life.
She could have been your sister, your daughter, your teacher, your friend.
Despite the tragic way she died, Ms Scott will leave a legacy of hope.
Hope may seem like a strange evocation at a time of such sorrow. But it’s hope that sustains us in times of intense grief.
It’s hope, not hurt, that must shape our future, regardless of how bleak it might sometimes seem.