May 22, 2010

Leanne Holland corpse images remain on Dutch website

BrisbaneTimes.com.au

Murdered Goodna schoolgirl Leanne Holland.

Murdered Goodna schoolgirl
Leanne Holland.

Police have yet to track the source of disturbing crime scene images of a murdered 12-year-old girl that have been posted online.

Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick said police have also failed to have the images removed from the Dutch website.

brisbanetimes.com.au this week revealed that three images portraying the half-naked corpse of Leanne Holland, who was murdered in Goodna, west of Brisbane, in 1991, are on the website.

"The government is greatly concerned about the matter," Mr Dick said today.

"Obviously the pictures have been broadly released over time. Defence lawyers could have had it; someone in the justice system could have had access."

The Crime and Misconduct Commission yesterday announced an inquiry into how the photos were released and police are investigating if posting them is against Queensland law.

Mr Dick said it was imperative victims' rights and their families' rights were protected and images of crime scenes or murders needed to be strictly controlled.

"We need to look at, broadly, what happens to those images in courts and it's something I am keen to do," he said.

"We need to respect victims, victims' families and they are afforded protection from the system.

"We have to make sure we have an open justice system and make sure we protect victims' rights as well."

He said he had not seen the images and had not contacted the family of Leanne Holland, whose murder is shrouded in controversy and mystery.

Graham Stafford, the former boyfriend of Leanne's sister, spent 15 years in jail for her murder.

His conviction was quashed on Christmas Eve last year and no one since has been charged with her murder.

Police have since launched their own review into the investigation of the murder.

"Clearly the Holland family in particular has gone through a fairly significant ordeal," Mr Dick said.

"In a sense I want to respect their privacy.

"There is a public interest to ensure these things are pursued."