Convicted sex offender first to die under Australia assisted suicide law

(Right to Life UK) — A convicted paedophile has become the first prisoner to die as a result of New South Wales’ (NSW) assisted suicide and euthanasia legislation, as his victim daughter claims justice “has been ripped away”.

Justice Health officials approved an application from prisoner Daniel Hume, 55, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, under New South Wales’ Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act 2022. Hume’s life was ended at the end of August, though reports are unclear whether he was assisted in suicide or was euthanised by doctors, after serving seven years of his 30-year sentence.

Concerns about lack of transparency

Following Hume’s death, concerns have been raised about a lack of transparency after reports emerged that no victim consultation took place on Hume’s request for death at the hands of the state before the decision was made, whilst neither NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong nor Health Minister Ryan Park were involved at any stage in the approval of Hume’s application. 

Victims’ advocate Howard Brown criticised the “clandestine” nature of the VAD board, saying “If you were confident in the decision you have made as a specialist board, then you would be completely transparent about your decision-making, not clandestine like the VAD board is on these cases”. 

Last year, frontline prison officers and Public Service Association bosses raised concerns about a lack of consultation with the prison system regarding prisoners who had applied for euthanasia or assisted suicide. 

A prison boss from New South Wales, speaking anonymously, also shared their fears that the approval of Hume’s application will set “a dangerous precedent”, suggesting other prisoners may try to emulate Hume’s actions.

“There is a real fear this will open up the floodgates, and there are little to no mechanisms in place for the department, or even the NSW Government, to intervene”.

Paedophile’s victim daughter decries removal of justice

Hume’s daughter Nevaeh Jett, who was one of his 14 victims, said the decision to approve his death had “ripped away” the sense of justice that she was clinging to.

 “None of us deserved to find out this way”, she said, highlighting that she only heard of her father’s death after being told by a friend who saw it on the news. Jett added that the fact approval had been granted set a “terrifying” precedent “for other criminals who have committed heinous crimes”. 

The 27-year-old is now campaigning against prisoners being granted assisted suicide and euthanasia, saying that reform is needed “in how we approach victims, with how we inform victims, with how we consider victims, because our justice deserves to be considered”.

New South Wales’ Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act, came into force in November 2023.

When the law was passed, a steering committee was created to enable prisoners to make use of it. A resulting document explained how the process would work for prisoners, stating that a staff member “approached by an inmate with an enquiry about [euthanasia/assisted suicide] is to advise the inmate to discuss the matter with their Justice Health treating team or refer them to general information available on the inmate tablets. No further advice from [staff] may be given”. 

The document continued “The submission of a request for VAD and the approval process is entirely a matter for Justice Health and the VAD Board”.

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “The case of Daniel Hume is a worrying example of how assisted suicide and euthanasia continue to harm the most vulnerable in our society, in this case his victims, for whom justice has been removed”.

“This sort of case reveals yet another kind of presumably unintended consequence of these kinds of laws”.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Right to Life UK and is reprinted here with permission.