The State Parole Authority has granted a supervised release to Douglas James Wade, who sexually assaulted and murdered a Tumut toddler in 1988, following a decision yesterday.
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Wade will be released from the Kirkconnell Correctional Centre near Bathurst on December 15.
The State Parole Authority (SPA) considered Wade's application for parole in late August, but reserved its decision until an announcement yesterday afternoon.
Wade, now aged 57, pleaded not guilty at trial but was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 for killing the 22-month-old girl he was babysitting.
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The victim and her family cannot be named for legal reasons.
As a result of the reduction of sentence on appeal, Wade was eligible for parole from August 2014.
Wade has been denied parole on five previous occasions, with the latest unsuccessful attempt following a hearing in January last year, but he has previously been allowed day release.
"The offender will be released to supervised parole on December 15 with conditions, including electronic monitoring and with exclusion zones for the local government areas of Snowy Valley (Tumut), Yass Valley, Queanbeyan Pelarang Regional Council," a State Parole Authority spokesperson said.
Following a parole review hearing on August 21, the State requested the matter be reopened to allow Community Corrections to submit revised post-release accommodation plans for the offender, which delayed the SPA's determination.
The SPA said it considered extensive evidence, advice and reports in making the parole decision, including but not limited to the advice of the Serious Offenders Review Council recommending release to parole.
The parole authority was also handed reports of escorted external leave advising that, since 2017, Wade completed 36 episodes of weekend and 34 day leaves as a test of his "staged reintegration into the community".
The decision was also based on Wade's "successful completion of all available therapeutic programs to address his offending" and "willingness to comply with ongoing intervention and treatment in the community".
"The SPA determined the safety of the community was best served by ordering the offender to complete the remainder of his sentence on parole, under the supervision and monitoring of Community Corrections," the SPA said.
Howard Brown, who has represented the victim's family at parole hearings, was not available to comment before publication.