Mostly sunny min 6° - max 21°Let Noosa child killer die, says MP
12:00a.m. 8th May 2008
A Sunshine Coast MP says he would gladly join the queue to turn off life support for the woman convicted of killing Noosa schoolgirl Sian Kingi.
Valmae Beck, 64, and her husband Barrie Watts were both sentenced to life imprisonment for the horrific murder of Sian in 1987.
The 12-year-old was abducted, raped, stabbed and strangled in a crime which shocked the nation and devastated the Sunshine Coast community.
Beck is now critically ill and in an induced coma in a Townsville hospital following heart surgery earlier this week, sparking debate about whether taxpayers should be funding efforts to keep her alive.
Member for Fairfax Alex Somlyay said he had little sympathy for the perpetrator of such sickening brutality.
“I don’t know the medical details but if Valmae Beck was on life support I think there would be a long line of volunteers to turn it off and I would be happy to take my place in that line,” Mr Somlyay said.
“I understand that you can’t pick and choose who gets medical treatment, but like everyone else in the community, my gut feeling is one of disgust and dismay.”
Deputy National Party leader Fiona Simpson, who reported on Sian’s disappearance as a 21-year-old journalist with the Sunshine Coast Daily, said the community had been permanently scarred by Sian’s murder.
However, Miss Simpson said all prisoners, no matter how despicable their crime, should have access to the same health services that were available to all Queenslanders.
She said her primary concern was for the Kingi family and those closest to them, who were forced to relive the dreadful events surrounding Sian’s death every time the issue returned to the media spotlight.
“I wouldn’t presume to have any closeness with the Kingi family but I met them a number of times and you have got to respect the dignity with which they carried a great deal of pain – it was and is a horrible weight to bare,” Miss Simpson said.
“It’s like the story that never has an end and unfortunately this development just reveals the scars again and it continues to evoke a great deal of pain.
“For a small community on an ordinary day when evil touches it… it remains a living nightmare for the family and those close to the family who have to bear the burden for the rest of their lives.”
The member for Noosa, Glen Elmes said he would prefer not to enter into the debate about Valmae Beck and cause the Kingi family further grief or distress.
“Everyone is forming opinions about this but what we’ve got to remember is there is a family in this community going through that tragedy all over again and the best thing we can do is shut up and let events run their course,” Mr Elmes said.
Police Minister Judy Spence told ABC radio yesterday that investigators were still hoping to question Beck about a number of unsolved crimes, including at least one murder.
“I know there are police who have dealt with her and Barrie Watts over the years who believe that she may still have information on some unsolved crimes," Ms Spence said
“They would like to interview her at this point of time, when she faces her own mortality, and see if she’s got something else to say.”
One of the cases was believed to be that of Helen Mary Feeney, who was last seen a month before Sian’s disappearance in 1987.
Her body has never been found.
More RSS feeds
Install the news toolbar
Set up an email news alert 
Recent Comments
Despicable, monster, child sex, rape, onya the SCD for taking an "impartial" view on these things. Nothing sensationalistic about your covering the story.
Thank goodness there are still politicians like Fiona Simpson to force some common sense into the debate.
Every prisoner has a right to medical treatment. To refuse treatment in a life threatening case is to make queensland no better than Texas where the death penalty is so readily passed.
We don't have a death penalty. We have a system of justice and that will only ever work when all of those incarcerated are treated humanely. Everyone cares how gruesome their crime was, so why should we as a society stoop to their level?
No one is saying to use means as bad as the Beck and Watts themselves, but as Chillibin has said just remove the life support, really the only intervention was putting her on it in the first place - let her rot!
They just aren't human. If hippie liberals realised that we wouldn't have their filthy genes polluting the human race.
If someone raped and killed my daughter, I'd kill them myself. Bring back the Old Testament.
It's cases like this where I believe we should have capital punishment. No question about guilt then termination should be the result.
I'm with Crankyoldbaldman on this one. An eye for an eye. If you believe you have the right to rape and kill my daughter you had better be prepared for me to do (or arrange for) the same or worse to you. It would be my life's ambition until it was carried out.
Please don't get me wrong, I am as sickened and outraged as you all about this despicable crime and I have been brought to tears this week when reading details about the trial.
But does that mean we should instantly forget about principles like forgiveness and compassion.
Yes, there is an argument that someone like Val Beck deserves neither...but for each of us, and perhaps for the community as a whole, the only way to move on is to embrace forgiveness.
Ask yourselves if you would really be satisfied driving a dagger into Val Beck's side or doing whatever else you think is appropriate punishment - don't such bloodthirsty and violent ambitions drop you right down to her level? And then what have we achieved here?
The facts of the case still haunt me. Anyone who saw the horrific scene/images will still remember them - haunting and inhuman are the only words that come to mind.
These so called professors and MPs should not express an opinion on this matter as to whether she should be treated and allowed to live. P.S – Pull the plug.
Ed: Pauline Hanson has denied that she tried to help Valmae Beck get parole when she was in prison.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/0...
Ed: If you re-read my previous comment, you will see that I did not say Hanson had apologised for befriending Valmae Beck (now known as Fay Cram), but that she had denied assisting her to get parole. You can read the transcript here if you wish: http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/qld/cont...
The people I feel sorry for are those that have said things like:
Jayne - no right to medical help
Coastlover - an eye for an eye, capital punishment
My 2 cents - a less painful death or the Somlyay way
crankyoldman - they don't deserve the air they breath
s in noosa - let her rot
chillibin - take the waste of oxygen off life support
She is nothing but pure evil and it is beyond my comprehension how a mother of six could actually be a part of this horrendous crime.... I'm with you pull the plug. I have no pity for her at all.
Generally I do not believe in the death penalty but on hearing what that little girl endured I think that the death penalty should have been the only outcome for those two perpetrators. Why should we as tax payers pay to keep people like that alive????
I certainly don't consider those people that commented to be a sad lot rather I find it sad that you could actually have any compassion for the woman in question.
Before condemning others (who may know a LOT more about this matter than yourself), understand their opinions might be based on genuine reasons for same !
If you really want to feel sorry for me, feel it for the images that are burnt into my mind, the graphic details of the incident which haunt people involved in the matter (many more so than just me too). Feel true compassion for what is deserving instead of making veiled comments.
What do the comments today tell us? A lot of string them up vigilantes...
A civilised society should not execute someone for however heinous a crime. End of story.
A civilised society should give medical assistance to each prisoners regardless of their crimes.
Next you'll be saying we should just let prisoners starve to death or walk them into the sea...
A queue to switch off her life support machine. Am I hearing correctly in a so called western, advanced, civilised nation.
Shame on the lot of you...
Ignorance is bliss - and according to you, its also high moral ground ?!
once you have experienced loosing a child through murder like this one, don't judge until you have gone through it and see how your options change.
when you take a life you should have no rights you loose that right when you take someone elses.
I have lost My niece she was 9 years old and was raped and bashed to death with a lump of wood and left to die.
I ask you what would you say to me and my sister.
he is breathing my niece is not.
end of story.
walk a day in my world and see how you would feel.
if I had my way he would not be breathing.
Somlyay.......you can always count him in where ever he identifies an issue like this where popular, yet ignorant, position might convert to votes.
I'll take him at his word.
You can do it Alex. Go on, for once, do what you say you will. Get on the plane, pull the plugs!
Will you?
Nah, you won't.
All talk, as ever, no action.
.....but, Mate, I've found a few pot-holes you could rush to, if it pleases!
justifiable killing isnt really justifiable is it?
So China, Saudi Arabia and the USA are the examples most of you would like us to become or would Queensland be better as some vendetta led viglilante society?
It's a funny old world...
This prisoner has committed a hideous crime and has been sent to prison for the last 20 odd years and it looks like she will die there.
Why is it enraging people that she is getting medical assistance?
Regardless of the crime a prisoner is entitled to a certain level of state assistance like food, shelter and medication.
To "My 2 cents" who stated:
"others have to ensure your dreamland-world is free of canceroud growths like Ms Beck."
How does killing a dying prisoner who has been locked up for 20 years help? I can't understand your logic...
What you're suggesting, people who use the 'do you have children?' question to try to prove their point, is that people who don't support capital punishment, or who question the ethics of a politician who suggests we act against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by refusing medical treatment to a prisoner, don't love their children as much as you do.
Or perhaps you're suggesting that once a person procreates they should immediately abandon their moral and political viewpoints in favour of ye olde torch'n'pitchfork party.
Before anyone accuses me of not grasping the emotional devastation surrounding this crime, let me clarify: I completely agree that this is a horrific, heartbreaking, soul-crushing, life-ruining thing to happen to a beautiful little girl and her family. If this happened to a member of my family, I would probably want to hunt the perpetrator down and kick them to death. Actually, I would possibly want his or her sentence to be death by ten thousand paper cuts. I'd maybe even want them to be locked in a barrell full of scorpions and giant wasps. And that, my fine lynchy friends, is why I wouldn't have a say in it... thank goodness.
( i would say apostrophes too but eh)
Don't feel sorry for me, everyone has a right to express an opinion without being critisized for it. Becks life support should be turned off. She committed a heinous crime. She tortured and murdered an innocent young girl. Beck is not entitled to receive medical treatment and does'nt deserve to live.
I suspect that this is just another stunt by the do nothing, golf loving Alex Somlyay. Does the Daily have a policy of reprinting all the Liberal/National party press releases as they come in hot off the fax? Certainly appears to be the case in the last few weeks.
I can't believe the rhetoric coming from readers of this paper. For a moment I almost thought I was listening to an episode of A Current Affair or Today Tonight - you get the same mypoic fanaticism from the watchers of those shows.
Said it before =- yes I have children. My latest grandson is two weeks old. That doesn't stop me from pulling my tiny little head in and thinking killing someone because they aren't nice isn't really a christian, or jewish or muslim thing to do.
An eye for an eye is a violent way of living your life and is a shameful way of living your life.
Revenge is just as bad and that's all most of the vigilante mob on here want - is revenge.
We live in a supposedly law abiding society where the criminals are punished by the justice system. Yet most of you want to propound criminal acts to get your own back on Beck. You who call for an eye for an eye or capital punishment or revenge are no better than she is. That's why I said I really do feel sorry for those of you who feel that way.
Don't you dare then turn around and judge opinions from those who know more circumstances! Beck (and Watts) justifiably deserve any and every piece of community outrage that is directed at them.
If that includes ensuring she dies in custody (given she is teetering on the brink anyway), then I sure don't have a problem with it - got it ?
By the way, when was the last time you actually expressed your appreciation to any of the people who do their best to keep your life safe?
But it was an intemperate and ill-judged remark from Alex Somlyay - very disappointing to hear any federal member inciting vengence.
The fact remains that your comments indicate you don't know much/anything about this incident. I'm not saying to turn off others' life support, nor flatly refusing treatment for prisoners - this case was made unique by the circumstances and so their treatment and consequences are similarly unique.
I believe him to be actually enjoying his life.
The sooner he and his accomplice are dead the better society will be.
You seem to have decided to take some form of offence at some of my comments. Perhaps I should have worded them differently ?
The fact remains the some people know more about this (and other) issue and have formed an opinion based on that knowledge. It is annoying to have uninformed, naive people slam those opinions when they have little or no subject knowledge.
By the way, there are a few different areas to policing.
But as a civilised society surely we should be advancing the cause of rehabilitation over the death sentance. It has been proven in the US that killing convicted criminals does not stop their crimes.
My heart goes out to the Kingi family as we are continually reminded of the evils in this world that we have no control over other than to be born into a family that is touched by horror and loss.
"An eye for an eye"
Have your say
We welcome comments on our stories and blogs - after all it's your site. Please note comments should be on-topic and not abusive. Comments are checked before publication.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Your comments will be checked, for legal reasons, before being posted live.
Thanks again for contributing to the Daily's online community.
We value your views.
Comment again