A father is criticizing the government's allocation of resources, stating that more than $5 million has been spent on the support of his daughter's killer, while he has faced homelessness and financial difficulties. Dominic Porter's 10-year-old daughter, Bridgette 'Biddy' Porter, was fatally stabbed in July 2020 by a 14-year-old girl, identified only as XR for legal reasons, who was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time.
XR was charged with murder, but the NSW Supreme Court found her not guilty by reason of mental illness, attributing her actions to undiagnosed schizophrenia. Now 20, XR resides in a mental health facility and requires lifelong medication. XR receives NDIS funding, the disability support pension, accommodation, and medical support.
Mr. Porter has detailed how the trauma, grief, and protracted legal proceedings following his daughter's death led to the loss of his banking career, home, and assets. He stated that over the past six years, he has struggled to afford legal counsel, private healthcare, and mental health professionals while managing his living expenses. In contrast, he noted that Biddy's killer's life is funded by taxpayers.
"I have watched enormous amounts of money, resources, treatment, rehabilitation and legal protections poured into the person responsible for taking Biddy's life, while I have spent over six f***ing years fighting just to be heard," Mr. Porter wrote in a social media post. "It is a system that pays murderers while the people left behind pay for the murder for the rest of their lives."
Mr. Porter reported that his private health insurance premiums have reached $35,000 annually due to a series of hospital visits and a mental health diagnosis, including suicide attempts, stemming from the trauma. Without private insurance, his hospital visits alone would have cost over $1 million. He also highlighted that the state spends approximately $2,573 per day to maintain a juvenile offender in detention, according to 2024-25 Productivity Commission data, totaling about $939,000 per year. "When the State decides someone requires detention, supervision, accommodation and treatment, enormous resources can be found," he stated. "Meanwhile, what has happened to the family whose child was murdered?"
Biddy's parents separated after her murder. An inquest into the tragedy was held in Sydney to determine if systemic failures contributed to the event or if XR's deteriorating mental health could have been identified earlier. Evidence presented at the inquest described XR as a girl who loved animals but began self-harming at age 10. Over the following four years, her mental health declined significantly; she reportedly heard voices, had persistent fantasies about killing people, killed six chickens, and watched violent content. By 2019, she kept knives in her room, some with names, and discussed suicide at school. Her parents reportedly did not recognize the severity of her condition when she attempted to confide in them.
Mr. Porter testified at the inquest, suggesting that XR's parents missed "obvious" warning signs and expressed hope that the inquest would prevent future tragedies. He remembered his daughter as a bright and bubbly child with aspirations of becoming a journalist. The inquest is scheduled to conclude with oral submissions in November.