Petition for "Castle Law" in NSW, Australia & Justice for Baby Alex
Petition for "Castle Law" in NSW, Australia & Justice for Baby Alex
The issue
Open Letter to:
Hon. Chris Minns
Premier of New South Wales
Hon. John Ruddick
Member of NSW Legislative Council
Hon. Andrew Charlton
Federal Member for Epping NSW
Senator Hon. Katy Gallagher
Minister for Women,
Minister for the Public Service,
Minister for Government Services
Hon. Michael Daley
NSW General Attorney
Hon. John Hatzistergos
Chief Commissioner Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
Mr Mal Layon
NSW Police Commissioner
Ms Annette Farrell
NSW Commissioner of Victims Rights, Victims Services
"Castle Law" - Protection for Home Owners in NSW, Australia
On the morning of 30 July 2024, while I was pregnant and sleeping alone in bed in what I thought was my safe haven, my sanctuary was violently breached by armed intruders who had illegally entered my backyard via my rear neighbour.
The police, although called immediately, arrived too late to prevent the horror that would unfold. What was even more traumatising was the fact that despite the urgency and me informing the police that I was pregnant, frightened and alone, with armed intruders on my property, help was not prioritised.
During this time, my property was violently invaded and vandalised. I remembered screaming and trying to defend myself and my property without success, as the intruders were two men twice my size and armed with weapons.
In the chaos and brutality of the attack, I remembered I was slapped, bashed, pushed, kicked, hit....with fists, with legs and with weapons. I remembered being treated like a rag doll thrown around by them and from significant heights. I was utterly defenceless against two physically strong men twice my size armed with weapons inside my own property. I was screaming, and crying and have never felt as scared and helpless in my life.
In that attack, I suffered horrific physical and psychological injuries, and I lost my unborn child. That is a pain that I will never forget and will carry to my grave.
The trauma of that day is indelibly etched in my memory, and I carry it like a heavy rock on my chest every single day. There has not been one day that has since gone by where I did not cry myself to sleep thinking of my dead child who would have been much loved and peacefully sleeping in my arms. Me and my husband no longer talk as much as we used to, with the death of our baby, it is almost like our family has also fallen apart.
There is a multitude of fear, pain, guilt and endless list of "what-ifs".
What if he had not gone to work that day? Would things have been different? The fact is, the perpetrators who did this were prepared, we were not. No victim is ever prepared for a catastrophe like this. It is not something you expect to wake up to and has a strategy for.
I was later also told that due to the trauma I suffered physically, and the resulting emotional and internal injuries, it is not known if I can ever carry another pregnancy safely.
I work in health - specifically paediatrics - where I go to work to help and save the lives of little children and pull together their families. Imagine being told that I may never have children again due to the events of 30 July 2024. That day, everything became a blur for me.
Hence, I am resolved to ensure that no other women or family has to endure such a heart-wrenching tragedy in their own homes.
In a world, where the safety and sanctity of our homes should be a given, there remains a grave loophole in Australia where criminals appears to be given more rights than victims, and where there is a glaring lack of protection for home owners.
Our existing legal framework does not adequately allow for individuals, particularly women, children, the elderly, or anyone who do not possess the same physique as men - who more often than not, are the perpetrators of intrusion crimes - to effectively protect themselves when faced with imminent danger.
In situations where physical confrontations are unavoidable, those without the physical strength and built of a typical male will find themselves at a severe disadvantage, often with devastating consequences.
The current law gives landowner rights against intruders under the Crime Act 1900 and Inclosed Land Protection Act 1901 to:
Control access to your own property;
Request intruders to leave; and
To use reasonable force to remove them as necessary
All of which when breached are indictable crimes yet poorly actioned by police and literally impossible to be defended by individuals when the intruders are physically dominant in comparison to the landowners.
In my case, there were at least two of them, up against petite 5 foot me with a baby in my tummy.
"Castle Law", also known as the "Castle Doctrine," is a legal doctrine that supports an individual’s right to use reasonable force, including deadly force if necessary, to protect oneself against intruders in one’s home without the duty to retreat.
Such a law would empower all Australians, men and women, young and old, to feel secure in their homes, knowing they can legally defend themselves, their families, and their property from harm. Particularly when one do not possess the same physical attributes compared to the unwanted intruders who had entered their "Castle".
Currently, many countries in the world have successfully implemented "Castle Law", resulting in a decrease in home invasions due to the deterrent effect it has on potential intruders. This is particularly important for countries with vast land areas and regions with a less than competent and efficient Police Force capable of arriving to crime scene on time and performing the essence of their duties properly.
In my case, I had called for 000 immediately upon discovering the intrusion. I also contacted my local police station which was only 5 minutes away from me. Despite informing them that I was pregnant, scared, traumatised and alone at home. Help did not arrive swiftly. I have no doubt that had the correct protocol been applied, my little bub would still be alive.
To rub salt to wound, despite having video footages, photos and eyewitnesses to the event, none of the four police officers who arrived on scene turned on their body worn cameras to record the events, secured the scene to prevent the perpetrators from leaving, took fingerprints, recorded any statements or reviewed any of the evidences that I tried to provide. Later, I found out they also lost the contact details of the eyewitness.
I was also not given a Blue Card with an Event Number, names of the police officers, their contact details or rendered any victims support, despite asking for their names and their assistance and informing the police that I was feeling very unwell after the assault and that I was pregnant.
Callously, I was told to "return home" because "they are gone" and that "you are now safe". It was clear to me as a medical professional that they were inadequately trained and not trauma-informed.
The fact was, I was not safe. I have since never felt safe inside my own home again. There were no efforts to make any records or investigation. Subsequent evidences sent to the police station was apparently also never recorded on file or attached properly. A complaint was made to the Police Headquarter with further complaints made to the LECC where the matter was referred back to Ryde Police Command for "self investigation" which was a major conflict of interest and impossible to be impartial. Unsurprisingly, the complaints were swiftly closed and ignored.
FOI requests for information were either blocked or blacked out that essentially nothing was accountable, transparent nor traceable. We were also apparently told we had never filed a police report. And we do not have a consistent reference number allowing the case to be followed up. Evidences kept being lost and we were repeatedly told to re-provide it.
There was absolutely no transparency nor accountability 16 months following the horrific crime and demise of my poor child.
No one had been charged and the case has not been forwarded to the ODPP to date. The criminals are still at large - free and carefree.
This happened to me on 30 July 2024 when I least expect it.
It can happen to anyone, any day.
"Castle Law" cannot wait.
We must act now to ensure effective measures are put in place to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society. Women, children, the elderly, and indeed every Australian, should not have to live in fear within their own homes.
By supporting the implementation of "Castle Law", we can all play a part in protecting the sanctity and safety of our homes across the nation.
Please join me in urging our lawmakers to enact "Castle Law" in NSW, if not whole of Australia.
Sign this petition to support a future where no one has to feel helpless in their own home again.
Justice for "Baby Alex"
"If a pregnant woman is the victim of a criminal offence that leads to the death of her unborn child, should the person responsible be charged with the murder or manslaughter of that child?"
Currently in NSW Australia, abortion was removed from the Crimes Act of 1900 in October 2019 with the passage of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 in NSW.
This allows parents to abort a foetus without any reasons or medical justifications up to 20 weeks gestations.
Consequently, an unborn child less than 20 weeks old killed as a results of violence to their mother is not recognised as a life and hence their murderers are sparred murder or manslaughter charges. This neglects whether the parents would have wanted their child to be born or not. That right was taken away from the parents and put into the hand of their child murderers.
As a result of two significant incidents experienced by Ms Brodie Donegan and Ms Katherine Hoang who both lost their unborn child to vehicle accidents, The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Loss of Foetus) Bill 2021 was born, resulting in the creation of two new offences, better known as Zoe's Law.
Currently, there are three (3) criminal charges that can be brought against the perpetrators of murder against an unborn child, being:
1. Manslaughter of unborn child;
2. Murder of unborn child;
3. Causing the loss of a foetus (Zoe's Law)
Unfortunately, all these laws only apply where the unborn child is 20 weeks gestation or more, and they were amended following traffic/ motor vehicle accidents killing the unborn child.
There is nothing in the current law that applies to Baby Alex who was killed following an event of home intrusion where an act of intentional violence was committed against a pregnant women on her own property killing the unborn child.
This is significantly different to reckless or dangerous driving where the unborn child was killed following a vehicle collision.
Home intrusion crimes are premeditated and the assault on the home owner intentional. This is murder and there should be no excuse for this. There should be a law recognising the rights of the child to be born, particularly if expected and wanted by the parents.
This is another gap in the law where victims rights are taken away and put into the hands of the criminals.
How can this be right?
In conjunction with the push for "Castle Law", please also join me in pushing for justice for Baby Alex.
It is time to stop giving criminals more rights than victims.
The case reference for this Police Event is 9733 1314.
We are asking for a Public Inquiry by the independent ICAC and LECC into Ryde Police Command and the relevant officers for full accountability and transparency on the case.
PS: Please read update on 9/11/2025.
Media enquiry and contact are welcomed. We are particularly keen to speak with 60 Minutes and A Current Affairs.
We appreciate any members of public forwarding this to a direct media contact if you know one.
Reference:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-20/nsw-parliament-passes-zoes-law/100636536
3,071
The issue
Open Letter to:
Hon. Chris Minns
Premier of New South Wales
Hon. John Ruddick
Member of NSW Legislative Council
Hon. Andrew Charlton
Federal Member for Epping NSW
Senator Hon. Katy Gallagher
Minister for Women,
Minister for the Public Service,
Minister for Government Services
Hon. Michael Daley
NSW General Attorney
Hon. John Hatzistergos
Chief Commissioner Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
Mr Mal Layon
NSW Police Commissioner
Ms Annette Farrell
NSW Commissioner of Victims Rights, Victims Services
"Castle Law" - Protection for Home Owners in NSW, Australia
On the morning of 30 July 2024, while I was pregnant and sleeping alone in bed in what I thought was my safe haven, my sanctuary was violently breached by armed intruders who had illegally entered my backyard via my rear neighbour.
The police, although called immediately, arrived too late to prevent the horror that would unfold. What was even more traumatising was the fact that despite the urgency and me informing the police that I was pregnant, frightened and alone, with armed intruders on my property, help was not prioritised.
During this time, my property was violently invaded and vandalised. I remembered screaming and trying to defend myself and my property without success, as the intruders were two men twice my size and armed with weapons.
In the chaos and brutality of the attack, I remembered I was slapped, bashed, pushed, kicked, hit....with fists, with legs and with weapons. I remembered being treated like a rag doll thrown around by them and from significant heights. I was utterly defenceless against two physically strong men twice my size armed with weapons inside my own property. I was screaming, and crying and have never felt as scared and helpless in my life.
In that attack, I suffered horrific physical and psychological injuries, and I lost my unborn child. That is a pain that I will never forget and will carry to my grave.
The trauma of that day is indelibly etched in my memory, and I carry it like a heavy rock on my chest every single day. There has not been one day that has since gone by where I did not cry myself to sleep thinking of my dead child who would have been much loved and peacefully sleeping in my arms. Me and my husband no longer talk as much as we used to, with the death of our baby, it is almost like our family has also fallen apart.
There is a multitude of fear, pain, guilt and endless list of "what-ifs".
What if he had not gone to work that day? Would things have been different? The fact is, the perpetrators who did this were prepared, we were not. No victim is ever prepared for a catastrophe like this. It is not something you expect to wake up to and has a strategy for.
I was later also told that due to the trauma I suffered physically, and the resulting emotional and internal injuries, it is not known if I can ever carry another pregnancy safely.
I work in health - specifically paediatrics - where I go to work to help and save the lives of little children and pull together their families. Imagine being told that I may never have children again due to the events of 30 July 2024. That day, everything became a blur for me.
Hence, I am resolved to ensure that no other women or family has to endure such a heart-wrenching tragedy in their own homes.
In a world, where the safety and sanctity of our homes should be a given, there remains a grave loophole in Australia where criminals appears to be given more rights than victims, and where there is a glaring lack of protection for home owners.
Our existing legal framework does not adequately allow for individuals, particularly women, children, the elderly, or anyone who do not possess the same physique as men - who more often than not, are the perpetrators of intrusion crimes - to effectively protect themselves when faced with imminent danger.
In situations where physical confrontations are unavoidable, those without the physical strength and built of a typical male will find themselves at a severe disadvantage, often with devastating consequences.
The current law gives landowner rights against intruders under the Crime Act 1900 and Inclosed Land Protection Act 1901 to:
Control access to your own property;
Request intruders to leave; and
To use reasonable force to remove them as necessary
All of which when breached are indictable crimes yet poorly actioned by police and literally impossible to be defended by individuals when the intruders are physically dominant in comparison to the landowners.
In my case, there were at least two of them, up against petite 5 foot me with a baby in my tummy.
"Castle Law", also known as the "Castle Doctrine," is a legal doctrine that supports an individual’s right to use reasonable force, including deadly force if necessary, to protect oneself against intruders in one’s home without the duty to retreat.
Such a law would empower all Australians, men and women, young and old, to feel secure in their homes, knowing they can legally defend themselves, their families, and their property from harm. Particularly when one do not possess the same physical attributes compared to the unwanted intruders who had entered their "Castle".
Currently, many countries in the world have successfully implemented "Castle Law", resulting in a decrease in home invasions due to the deterrent effect it has on potential intruders. This is particularly important for countries with vast land areas and regions with a less than competent and efficient Police Force capable of arriving to crime scene on time and performing the essence of their duties properly.
In my case, I had called for 000 immediately upon discovering the intrusion. I also contacted my local police station which was only 5 minutes away from me. Despite informing them that I was pregnant, scared, traumatised and alone at home. Help did not arrive swiftly. I have no doubt that had the correct protocol been applied, my little bub would still be alive.
To rub salt to wound, despite having video footages, photos and eyewitnesses to the event, none of the four police officers who arrived on scene turned on their body worn cameras to record the events, secured the scene to prevent the perpetrators from leaving, took fingerprints, recorded any statements or reviewed any of the evidences that I tried to provide. Later, I found out they also lost the contact details of the eyewitness.
I was also not given a Blue Card with an Event Number, names of the police officers, their contact details or rendered any victims support, despite asking for their names and their assistance and informing the police that I was feeling very unwell after the assault and that I was pregnant.
Callously, I was told to "return home" because "they are gone" and that "you are now safe". It was clear to me as a medical professional that they were inadequately trained and not trauma-informed.
The fact was, I was not safe. I have since never felt safe inside my own home again. There were no efforts to make any records or investigation. Subsequent evidences sent to the police station was apparently also never recorded on file or attached properly. A complaint was made to the Police Headquarter with further complaints made to the LECC where the matter was referred back to Ryde Police Command for "self investigation" which was a major conflict of interest and impossible to be impartial. Unsurprisingly, the complaints were swiftly closed and ignored.
FOI requests for information were either blocked or blacked out that essentially nothing was accountable, transparent nor traceable. We were also apparently told we had never filed a police report. And we do not have a consistent reference number allowing the case to be followed up. Evidences kept being lost and we were repeatedly told to re-provide it.
There was absolutely no transparency nor accountability 16 months following the horrific crime and demise of my poor child.
No one had been charged and the case has not been forwarded to the ODPP to date. The criminals are still at large - free and carefree.
This happened to me on 30 July 2024 when I least expect it.
It can happen to anyone, any day.
"Castle Law" cannot wait.
We must act now to ensure effective measures are put in place to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society. Women, children, the elderly, and indeed every Australian, should not have to live in fear within their own homes.
By supporting the implementation of "Castle Law", we can all play a part in protecting the sanctity and safety of our homes across the nation.
Please join me in urging our lawmakers to enact "Castle Law" in NSW, if not whole of Australia.
Sign this petition to support a future where no one has to feel helpless in their own home again.
Justice for "Baby Alex"
"If a pregnant woman is the victim of a criminal offence that leads to the death of her unborn child, should the person responsible be charged with the murder or manslaughter of that child?"
Currently in NSW Australia, abortion was removed from the Crimes Act of 1900 in October 2019 with the passage of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019 in NSW.
This allows parents to abort a foetus without any reasons or medical justifications up to 20 weeks gestations.
Consequently, an unborn child less than 20 weeks old killed as a results of violence to their mother is not recognised as a life and hence their murderers are sparred murder or manslaughter charges. This neglects whether the parents would have wanted their child to be born or not. That right was taken away from the parents and put into the hand of their child murderers.
As a result of two significant incidents experienced by Ms Brodie Donegan and Ms Katherine Hoang who both lost their unborn child to vehicle accidents, The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Loss of Foetus) Bill 2021 was born, resulting in the creation of two new offences, better known as Zoe's Law.
Currently, there are three (3) criminal charges that can be brought against the perpetrators of murder against an unborn child, being:
1. Manslaughter of unborn child;
2. Murder of unborn child;
3. Causing the loss of a foetus (Zoe's Law)
Unfortunately, all these laws only apply where the unborn child is 20 weeks gestation or more, and they were amended following traffic/ motor vehicle accidents killing the unborn child.
There is nothing in the current law that applies to Baby Alex who was killed following an event of home intrusion where an act of intentional violence was committed against a pregnant women on her own property killing the unborn child.
This is significantly different to reckless or dangerous driving where the unborn child was killed following a vehicle collision.
Home intrusion crimes are premeditated and the assault on the home owner intentional. This is murder and there should be no excuse for this. There should be a law recognising the rights of the child to be born, particularly if expected and wanted by the parents.
This is another gap in the law where victims rights are taken away and put into the hands of the criminals.
How can this be right?
In conjunction with the push for "Castle Law", please also join me in pushing for justice for Baby Alex.
It is time to stop giving criminals more rights than victims.
The case reference for this Police Event is 9733 1314.
We are asking for a Public Inquiry by the independent ICAC and LECC into Ryde Police Command and the relevant officers for full accountability and transparency on the case.
PS: Please read update on 9/11/2025.
Media enquiry and contact are welcomed. We are particularly keen to speak with 60 Minutes and A Current Affairs.
We appreciate any members of public forwarding this to a direct media contact if you know one.
Reference:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-20/nsw-parliament-passes-zoes-law/100636536
3,071
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Petition created on 5 November 2025