Steven Fraser Convicted of Murdering His 3 Children

KASAMA Vol. 17 No. 4 / October-November-December 2003 / Solidarity Philippines Australia Network

On 30 October 2003 in the NSW Supreme Court, after 9 days of trial, the jury took just 3 hours to find Steven Anthony Fraser guilty of murdering his three children between 18-20 August 2001. The children - Ashley (7), Ryan (5), and Jarrod (4) - were on a custody visit at their father's apartment in Caringbah, Sydney where he had been living for two months after the break-up of his marriage to their mother, Maria Chona Fraser.

The two boys were drugged and drowned; the older girl was drugged, knocked unconscious and strangled. There were cryptic handwritten messages on their bodies and on the walls of the apartment. Their father was discovered in the bath having possibly taken an overdose of sedatives. Hearings of this case were continuously adjourned due to his "psychological condition". He eventually admitted killing the children but pleaded not guilty to murder because of mental instability.

Submissions on sentencing were heard on 12-13 December 2003 and the court will reconvene on 13 February 2004 when Fraser will be sentenced.

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Father charged with the murder of his three children
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