Roderick Holohan, who previously assaulted police sergeant Samantha Barlow, was arrested on new domestic violence-related charges. His parole was revoked, and he will remain in custody until all outstanding charges are resolved. His sentence is set to expire on February 13, 2029.
Samantha Barlow expressed feeling betrayed by the system, as she wasn't notified of Holohan's parole until a friend informed her. The Barlows weren't enrolled in the Victims Register due to unawareness of its existence and its opt-in nature. They were notified only four days prior to Holohan's parole hearing.
Following media coverage, the NSW government vowed to improve the Victims Register. While an appeal against Holohan's parole was abandoned due to a lack of judicial error, new legislation was introduced to ensure mandatory notification to victims about their right to register.
The article highlights flaws within the Victims Register, including the opt-in system and lack of a single responsible agency for notifying victims. The government aims to address these issues by providing mandatory notification of the register and victims' eligibility to join.
The article concludes by providing contact details for support services for domestic violence and other related issues.
“Irrespective of any application for bail, Holohan will remain in custody on the revocation of parole order until such time as all outstanding charges are dealt with.”
His total sentence will expire on February 13, 2029.
Barlow was unaware Holohan would be paroled until being notified by a friend in October. Barlow and her husband, Laurence, were not formally advised of Holohan’s parole hearing until four days prior due to cracks in the Victims Register.
The register works on an opt-in basis, meaning victims of violent crime need to sign up to the scheme. The Barlows were never enrolled in the registry and claim they were never made aware of its existence. Tuesday marks 16 years since Holohan’s attack on Barlow.
“There are no words that can accurately describe the sense of betrayal that comes from something like this,” Barlow told the Herald at the time.
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Last year, NSW Premier Chris Minns said Attorney-General Michael Daley would seek “advice about potential avenues for appeal” against Holohan’s parole. But that appeal was abandoned because the government found there was no error made by the judge who released Holohan.
After the Herald’s revelations, Minns and Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong vowed to fix a flaw in the register that meant no single agency was responsible for notifying victims when their attackers were due for parole.
Last week, the Minns government introduced legislation to parliament that stopped short of applying an opt-out model, but which ensures victims receive a “mandatory notification” about their right to sign up.
A joint statement released by Daley and Chanthivong said eligible victims of serious offenders will be notified about the relevant register and their eligibility to opt in.
If they are unsure of their wishes, they can choose to be contacted later to discuss registering.
Chanthivong used ministerial discretion to direct the Victims Registry to contact the Barlows on Monday
If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114, beyondblue on 1800 512 348, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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