Key facts
- An Australian inquiry is examining cold case murders, including the disappearance of British toddler Kay Docherty.
- Kay Docherty's family alleges police mishandled her case, dismissing her as a runaway.
- The inquiry is investigating potential links between these cases and serial killer Ivan Milat.
- Milat is believed to have murdered at least seven victims between 1989 and 1992.
- The family of Keren Rowland also submitted evidence, suggesting she might have been Milat's first victim.
- Forensic criminologist Dr. Xanthe Weston testified about Milat's egocentric nature.
An Australian inquiry has commenced its examination of cold case murders, with the family of Kay Docherty, a British toddler, detailing alleged failures by police in their handling of her disappearance. Kevin Docherty told the inquiry that police dismissed his mother as a runaway, leading to insufficient efforts to find her.
The case of Kay Docherty is one of several being investigated for potential links to Ivan Milat, a notorious Australian serial killer responsible for the deaths of at least seven backpackers between 1989 and 1992. These victims, aged 19 to 22, were abducted while hitchhiking and taken to Belanglo State Forest in New South Wales.
The family of Keren Rowland, who disappeared in February 1971 at the age of 20 and five months pregnant, also submitted evidence to the inquiry. Her cousin, Dr. Andrea Hughes, criticized the decades-long investigation for its "ignorance, poor leadership, parochialism and arrogance." Forensic criminologist Dr. Xanthe Weston testified that Milat was egocentric and used killing to compensate for loss of control in his personal life.