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Canberra Today 24°/27° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Family begs minister for murder update

Liz Mikita… pleading with the Police Minister. Photo: John Mikita

FRUSTRATED by the silence from Canberra’s police, Liz Mikita, the daughter of Irma Palasics, a woman murdered in McKellar 20 years ago, is now calling on Police Minister Mick Gentleman to intervene. 

Despite the 20th anniversary of her mother’s “horrendous” death and despite media attention, including a story published by “CityNews” on October 31, Ms Mikita says the last contact she’s had from police was years ago.

Left without any other options, Ms Mikita has written an open letter to Mr Gentleman, pleading for him to provide her and her family with an update on the case.

In her letter she describes herself as “nauseated and abjectly disappointed by the inaction of the police” and “despondent about the inability and inaction of the police to get these scum off the streets.”

She’s also pleading for Mr Gentleman to let police do the job they’re passionate about by taking away any constraints stopping them from doing so.

Ms Mikita even offered to pay for phenotyping, which could be used to produce an image of the killer with DNA from the crime scene, but was again answered with silence. 

Murder victim Irma Palasics.

In the letter to Mr Gentleman, Ms Mikita says: “My son has put up signs across Canberra, handed out flyers and done extensive media in an attempt to generate information to solve this crime. Despite this activity, especially in the last week, the last contact from the police was years ago. “I’m sick of hearing that there are staff shortages, the budget isn’t enough and there aren’t enough clues. I don’t believe that these two scumbags were that brilliant that they didn’t leave something behind to incriminate them.

“It galls me that the family and media are keeping this case alive, but with no help from the police. 

“I think it is about time that victims of crime were afforded the decency of communication. As Minister, I wish that you would empower the police to do their job they are passionate about.

“My husband and I are getting closer to my parents’ age and are powerfully aware of so much more life they could have lived. We have lived in a cocoon of disbelief and disavowal but daily actions constantly remind us of what happened.

“Dad was destroyed – he was beaten and witnessed his wife get murdered. I still can’t believe how he lived with that night for nearly five years. I often see the act of them being bashed senseless and feeling their pain and their disbelief that this could happen in their own home. 

Irma and Gregor Palasics.

“I still am constantly reminded of what my father said. He said that as he and mum lay there in agony and terror, battered and bleeding, these two scumbags laughed and joked as they ransacked their home. The way things have progressed over the years, I can see them having the last laugh, laughing at the expense of the police’s inability to catch them.

“To that end, I owe it to my parents that I bring this to a finality one way or another before I die. But to do that, I need the help of the police force and anyone in the community brave enough to bring these perpetrators to justice. As the Minister for Police, I ask that you provide us with an update on this case.”

 

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Ian Meikle, editor

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