7NEWS Spotlight: Justice for Biddy
Bridgette “Biddy” Porter was a smart and vibrant 10-year-old girl who loved school, telling stories and writing poetry.
She had everything to live for, but one wintry morning all of that was taken away when Biddy was brutally killed by a 14-year-old whom she had played with only the day before.
Until now, Biddy’s name, face and story have been lost in a mountain of legal documents and complicated legislation designed to protect the identity of her teenage killer.
Since her death, Biddy’s parents Rebekah and Dominic Porter have barely survived – drowning in grief and loss, and believing they had been silenced by a court order forbidding publication of their daughter’s name.
The circumstances around Biddy’s killing are so horrific, the first police officer to respond to the scene has never returned to work.
Some of the details will never be made public. But the shocking timeline of events and admissions from the killer shortly after Biddy’s death can now be revealed in this confronting but important 7NEWS Spotlight special report to air this Sunday at 8.45pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Michael Usher investigates Australia’s murky legal system which saw Biddy’s killer dealt with by the Mental Health Review Tribunal.
Originally sold to the Porters by the Director of Public Prosecutions as a path to justice for Biddy, the result was anything but for the grieving parents. In a stunning blow, they recently discovered their daughter’s killer has been granted day release.
Michael Usher said: “We’ve fought for some time now to bring you this story. The case has been heavily protected by the courts, but now legally Biddy’s parents can speak about their daughter’s death and honour her memory.
“It’s been a long and painful fight for them. Their story is incredibly powerful, and so are the people who’ve been helping them find justice in the absolute worst of circumstances.”
All the anguish aside, at the heart of this harrowing story remains two devoted parents who desperately want the world to know about their bright and beautiful Biddy, and how much she was loved.
On Sunday, 7NEWS Spotlight will help Biddy’s parents remember their special little girl and tell this tragic full story for the very first time.
7NEWS Spotlight: Justice for Biddy This Sunday, 8.45pm on Channel 7 and 7plus