For nearly 13 years, Grace Donato has endured the heartache of losing her daughter, Adriana, who was murdered at the age of 20 by her ex-boyfriend, James Stoneham, in 2012. Adriana was lured to a park and viciously stabbed with a hunting knife. In a somber twist, while her murderer is incarcerated, the recent revelation that Stoneham had been inadvertently granted day release has added yet another layer of trauma to Grace and her family.
Upon learning of the error, Grace expressed her horror and devastation, stating that it has re-traumatised her family. The Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety has since issued an apology to the Donato family, acknowledging the distress caused by this serious lapse in procedure. A spokesperson noted that additional safeguards have been instituted to prevent such mistakes from occurring in the future.
Nonetheless, Grace remains unconvinced, feeling that the department’s apology is insufficient. She insists on the need for substantial changes in processes to ensure no other families have to endure similar pain. Grace has voiced her urgent desire for firm measures, advocating that murderers be kept out of transition centres to prevent them from walking among the public. Her fears are compounded by the possibility that Stoneham could be eligible for parole as soon as December, meaning he may once again be free despite his heinous crime.
While Grace contemplates the life that Stoneham could have if released—he would be 34 years old and potentially beginning anew—she is left to grieve the permanent absence of her daughter, filled with a sense that her family’s sentence is one that endures for a lifetime.