Parole review launched for 77-year-old underworld murderer Alistair MacRae
A review of Alistair MacRae’s parole, after a June decision to release him, is now being examined by the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner.
Alistair Farquhar MacRae, sentenced to four life terms for four calculated killings in the mid-1980s, was granted parole in June but that decision is now being reassessed by the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner. A preliminary hearing will take place next Tuesday, with Commissioner David Lovell confirming the review to the media. Only Attorney-General Kyam Maher, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and Victims’ Rights Commissioner Sarah Quick may have initiated the review, though they cannot discuss it publicly.
Criminologist Xanthe Weston described MacRae’s crimes as “execution-style” and among the most violent in Australia, while former Victims’ Rights Commissioner Michael O’Connell highlighted the distress such a release would cause families. MacRae, currently housed at the Yatala pre-release centre, has been in custody since his 1987 arrest and remains a focal point of public safety debate.
Why it matters
The case tests how the justice system balances public safety with parole rights for a notorious violent offender.
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