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Queensland mum, Bonnie Mobbs, is fighting for new laws that would penalise bystanders who witness a crime and don’t report it.
Shelsea Schilling was just two weeks short of celebrating her 21st birthday when her ex-partner, Bronson Ellery, killed her and then took his own life last November.
He was also known as The Lizard Man, due to his distinctive facial tattoos.
According to The Gold Coast Bulletin, three people witnesses the crime and failed to report it to the police.
But the trio will escape punishment as Queensland, unlike the Northern Territory, does not have a bystander responsibility law where a person who fails to rescue someone in need of help can face a maximum prison term of seven years.
Now, Opposition prevention of domestic violence spokeswoman Ros Bates has sponsored a petition to State Parliament calling for penalties to witnesses who fail to report serious crimes.
‘I feel very strongly about it, myself. I don’t understand why we don’t have these laws in the first place,’ Bonnie told The Gold Coast Bulletin.
‘It’s not to say that I want people to stop and get themselves involved. Just pick up the phone to ring police and an ambulance to assist.’
You can sign the petition here.
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