Perhaps it was meant as an olive branch but the families of Colleen Walker-Craig, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, who were murdered in Bowraville 30 years ago do not feel at all pacified.
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On Wednesday, NSW Police announced the reward for information into the murders of the three children would be increased from $250,000 to $1 million.
Evelyn's aunt Michelle Jarrett said the families had been called to a meeting with NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman in Coffs Harbour the same day.
She said they were told proposed amendments to double jeopardy laws by Greens MLC David Shoebridge and University of Technology's Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research "held no merit and would not be supported by the NSW Government".
"And then the head of NSW Police Homicide told us about the reward.
"I feel totally gutted and heartbroken. I have lost all faith in the NSW justice system, which keeps letting us down in spite of us doing everything they have asked ... we are like the monkeys in the circus.
"And I have no faith in our politicians.
"For us this is the end of the legal avenues unless new evidence comes through."
The murders were originally investigated separately before being linked by the Homicide Squad under Strike Force Ancud, and despite a man being charged on separate occasions over two of the children's murders, he was acquitted.
At present, a person can only be tried for the same crime for which they've previously been acquitted if there's fresh and compelling evidence.
Mr Shoebridge sought to amend the law to facilitate a retrial of the suspected killer of the three Aboriginal children in Bowraville in the early 1990s.
The state government in 2018 unsuccessfully argued in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal there was fresh and compelling evidence related to the disappearance of Colleen Walker which pointed to similarities in the three cases linking them to each other and one killer.
Michelle queried why they made the reward for the three children together, given that their cases are not able to be heard together in a court of law.
"Why not $1 million for each child?" Michelle said.
Speaking for Clinton's family, Leonie Duroux said questions in a letter the families sent to the NSW Police Commissioner last November were not really addressed in a reply that came only recently ... after a separate, totally unrelated, historic police investigation put Bowraville's name in the news.
"No-one told us when that was announced and when we made it clear we felt we had been treated with utter disrespect, only then did we get a reply to our November letter," Leonie said.
"We feel a deep sense of frustration. We have talked among the family and we are asking for an inquest into Clinton's murder - maybe we can flush something out that way."
She said the families were also angry this meeting seemed to be the result of media attention following an article by ex-police detective Gary Jubelin that appeared in the Telegraph on Sunday, rather than any real considered response.
"At the end of the day all these people go home to their lives, the man who did this to our children continues his life but our kids are still dead."
Colleen's brother Lucas Craig was eight when his sister disappeared, he will soon turn 38.
"It is very hard to come to terms with the fact that this is our justice system. These laws are there to make us feel protected but we don't feel listened to.
"All we want is justice, we want answers to Colleen's disappearance ... it is very exhausting but we will never give up."
Lucas said it was particularly hard watching his parents ageing and the hope seeping out of them.
"Now every time we are contacted, they expect bad news and they are right. I have always tried to be positive but after 30 years it is hard to keep that up."
Also present at the teleconference were Gary Jubelin, Larissa Behrendt and Craig Longman from UTS.
Ute Schulenberg
Journalism was always my plan but plans being what they are, I did not get to realise it until my early 40s ... and have loved every minute since. For me community journalism is the most intimate and honest place to be in this field - telling the stories of people I live with, side-by-side, every day. It is an honour.
Journalism was always my plan but plans being what they are, I did not get to realise it until my early 40s ... and have loved every minute since. For me community journalism is the most intimate and honest place to be in this field - telling the stories of people I live with, side-by-side, every day. It is an honour.
