New South Wales launches inquiry into forensic patient releases

Victims of crimes committed by forensic mental‑health patients in New South Wales have raised safety concerns after the Mental Health Review Tribunal granted unsupervised leave to Scott Settree, who was found not guilty by reason of mental illness for the 2014 murder of his parents. Wendy Robinson, Settree's sister, says the tribunal ignored her impact statements and allowed her brother to move freely in the community, prompting a series of complaints.

Following years of lobbying by Orange MP Phil Donato, the NSW Parliament's Law and Safety Committee has opened a state‑wide inquiry, chaired by the Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson, to examine systemic shortcomings in forensic patient management. The inquiry will review submissions from across the state to address the alleged imbalance that favours patient rehabilitation over the rights and safety of victims and the broader community.