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Child killer Dante Arthurs has been refused parole for a third time.
The then-21-year-old deli worker raped and murdered Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu, 8, inside the bathrooms at Canning Vale’s Livingston Marketplace Shopping Centre in June 2006 after she briefly left her male family members to go to the toilet.
Arthurs was jailed for a minimum of 13 years, under homicide laws which have since been overhauled to allow offenders like him to be jailed for life.
Despite the lesser jail term, which outraged the community, Arthurs release must be approved by the Attorney General of the day, with Tony Buti denying the murderer’s latest bid for freedom after reviewing a report from the Prisoners Review Board which labelled him an unacceptable risk to the community.
The Board said Arthurs, 40, would be eligible for parole again in May 2028.
WA Premier Roger Cook says the government will be “guided by the science”, not media commentary, after a rock art expert called into question findings that minimised the impact of nearby industry on rock art at the Burrup Peninsula.
As we brought you earlier in today’s blog, University of WA rock art professor Benjamin Smith believes the scientific findings of an 800-page report on the Murujuga rock art conflicted with the executive summary and media release accompanying it.
Smith said the report identified current levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide which had been proven to cause damage to rock art.
“There are now multiple lines of evidence showing that industrial pollution has already degraded the rock art and will continue to do so unless we lower the industrial pollution levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide,” Smith said.
However, asked about Smith’s claims at a press conference on Tuesday, Cook said the report’s findings were based upon “longitudinal and extensive research”.
“I also note that that report itself is peer-reviewed, and so the science is in.
“If there’s contrary science, well that should be presented in the scientific corners, but we’ll be guided by the science on this, not from the media commentary.
“The science has said that modern industrial developments do not have a long-term impact in terms of the quality of the rock art.
“There was one incident back in the 1970s associated with an old generation power plant. That is what people have pointed to as being the most damaging period during the age of the rock art.”
Two teenagers who were among a group of boys charged over a spate of homophobic attacks in Perth’s south have pleaded guilty.
The teenagers faced Perth Children’s Court on Tuesday – one in person, the other via video link – to enter guilty pleas to a swathe of charges including assault occasioning bodily harm, unlawful wounding, aggravated armed robbery and making a threat, among others.
Prosecutors had alleged that last year several men were lured via gay dating app Grindr to a park in South Lake, where the group of teenagers attacked them with weapons including knives, a crow bar and a Taser, and robbed them.
Another three teenagers had already pleaded guilty to a string of offences over the attacks, while a fourth pleaded not guilty.
The five teenagers who pleaded guilty will be sentenced in Perth Children’s Court next month.
WA sport minister Rita Saffioti said she does not believe she will need to intervene to ban a proposed bare knuckle fighting event from being held in Perth in July.
The Combat Sports Commission is mulling a decision to allow the world’s biggest bare-knuckle boxing organisation, partially owned by UFC fighter Conor McGregor, to stage a major fight in Perth next month.
In March, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship founder David Feldman announced on social media his intention to bring a boxing event to Perth on either July 12 or 19.
WA’s boxing regulations were amended by former Sport Minister David Templeman in February to recognise the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship as a sanctioning body, paving the way for the body to stage a contest in the state.
Speaking with Radio 6PR this morning, Saffioti said there was a strong regulatory environment in place for the Commission to sanction the event.
“They’re working through what safeguards and mechanisms can be put in place to make sure it can be done as safely as possible,” she said.
“In particular the experience of the boxers and the medical practitioners that need to be on hand.”
Asked if she felt she would need to veto the event if sanctioned by the Commission, Saffioti replied, ‘Not at this stage’.
Several state Liberals have rallied behind WA party president Caroline Di Russo after it emerged failed Curtin candidate Tom White intended to nominate for her position.
White’s nomination sets up significant internal power struggle in the party, which has suffered some of its worst defeats in history this year at both a state and federal level.
White confirmed his intention to run for president.
“While I can’t comment on internal party matters, I share the sense that many Liberals have: the party is at a crossroads, and bold thinking is needed to move us forward,” he said.
Speaking outside WA Parliament this morning, most Liberal MPs backed Di Russo to some extent.
Shadow education minister Liam Staltari praised Di Russo but said the presidency was a decision for the lay party.
“I think she’s done a fantastic job and is an excellent president who’s led us well. But, again, I think those matters are matters for the Liberal Party,” he said.
Opposition leader Basil Zempilas said that White was an excellent candidate for president but that he would support Di Russo if she intended to stay on.
“Caroline has done an excellent job as the president of the parliamentary party, and I support her to continue in that role, if that is what she wishes to do,” he said.
Shadow treasurer Sandra Brewer said she welcomed the competition.
“I think it’s just a common fact in political parties that different contestants will be rivals because they have different ideas for the future. So I look forward to hearing more about Caroline’s ideas, Tom White’s ideas, and anyone else who throws their hat in the ring,” she said.
Di Russo, who was elected in 2023, intends to nominate again for presidency.
WA Liberal party presidential terms last 12 months and are put to a ballot of party delegates at its state conference every year.
A UWA rock art professor claims the Murujuga rock art monitoring report released by the WA government on Friday has covered up evidence of degradation due to industrial pollution from nearby gas projects.
The 800-page report forms part of the evidence federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is considering in his decision whether to approve Woodside’s North West Shelf extension this week.
Professor Benjamin Smith claimed the scientific findings in the report conflict with the presentation of the research in the executive summary and media release which accompanied it.
He said the report found that levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide were currently at levels that had been proven to cause damage to the rock art.
Industry on the Burrup Peninsular near Dampier currently emits about 20,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide per year, making it among the most polluted airsheds in the southern hemisphere.
“There are now multiple lines of evidence showing that industrial pollution has already degraded the rock art and will continue to do so unless we lower the industrial pollution levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide,” Smith said.
“The report identifies the areas with greatest damage are in the vicinity of the Woodside LNG facilities and Yara fertiliser facility.”
“The report tries to blame emissions from power generation in Dampier during the 1970s and 1980s for causing increased porosity of granophyre rocks. If the power plant did some damage, then current damage will be five times worse because current industry produces five times the sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide per year.”
In reaching his conclusion, Smith also compared the damage to a rock taken from the area 30 years ago, compared to rocks still at the site.
A Bunbury couple are crediting their son’s haircut for their spur of the moment decision to recently buy a division one lotto ticket.
The ticket was purchased at Lakers News near Mandurah by the mother, after she decided to visit the newsagency to kill time while her son was getting a haircut.
The ticket was worth $1 million, with the split decision becoming life-changing.
“If I ever travel to a unique or different area, I’ll visit a Lotterywest retailer,” the mother said.
“As my son was getting a haircut, I decided to grab a ticket rather than sit there and wait.”
She said while the prize will make life much more enjoyable, for now, the family is letting the incredible news settle in before they make any big decisions.
Dockers defender Luke Ryan has weighed in on a clash between his captain Alex Pearce and Port Adelaide’s Darcy Byrne-Jones on Saturday night which has left Pearce facing a three-week ban.
Bryne-Jones was concussed by the hit, but Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said the club would be appealing Pearce’s punishment at the AFL Tribunal tonight.
Ryan spoke with Radio 6PR’s Wide World of Sports about the match ban below.
“Obviously, you don’t want to see those collisions on a footy field, but it does happen,” he said.
“I thought it was just a good footy contest.
“I thought Moose played for the ball and at the last second tried to protect himself and unfortunately Darcy got hit, but I thought it was a good contest and hopefully, he gets off.
“It’s a split decision, it all looks nice and easy when it’s on slow-mo, but if you watch it in real time it just happens so quick.”
Child killer Dante Arthurs has been refused parole for a third time.
The then-21-year-old deli worker raped and murdered Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu, 8, inside the bathrooms at Canning Vale’s Livingston Marketplace Shopping Centre in June 2006 after she briefly left her male family members to go to the toilet.
Arthurs was jailed for a minimum of 13 years, under homicide laws which have since been overhauled to allow offenders like him to be jailed for life.
Despite the lesser jail term, which outraged the community, Arthurs release must be approved by the Attorney General of the day, with Tony Buti denying the murderer’s latest bid for freedom after reviewing a report from the Prisoners Review Board which labelled him an unacceptable risk to the community.
The Board said Arthurs, 40, would be eligible for parole again in May 2028.
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