Victorian Corrections Minister Enver Ergogan has expressed remorse to the family of murder victim Adriana Donato, following an alarming oversight where they were not informed that her killer had been granted day release from prison. Adriana, a promising 20-year-old student at Melbourne University, was fatally stabbed in 2012 by her ex-boyfriend James Stoneham, who had meticulously planned the attack before luring her to a park.
In November 2013, Stoneham received a sentence of 19 years, with a minimum of 14.5 years to be served before he could be eligible for parole. Despite Adriana’s mother, Grace Donato, enrolling in the Victorian Victims Register to receive updates on Stoneham’s parole status, the family remained in the dark about his release into the community. They only learned about it through a relative, who spotted Stoneham near their home.
Minister Ergogan issued a statement acknowledging the distress caused by this error, describing it as “unacceptable” and extending heartfelt condolences to Adriana’s family. He assured that Corrections Victoria has revised its processes to prevent such lapses in the future.
Initially, Grace Donato found the sighting of Stoneham hard to believe, reacting with scepticism when informed by a family member. However, upon contacting police, she discovered that Stoneham had been transferred to the Lazarus Centre, a low-security facility where residents can go out under supervision, about a month prior.
The tragic incident left a profound mark on Adriana’s family, especially as she was on the cusp of graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree when her life was abruptly cut short by the violent act. Stoneham, adopted from Sri Lanka at a young age, had been experiencing severe mental health issues, which his legal team raised as a factor during his trial.