Key events
$1m reward announced 50 years after disappearance of Eloise Worledge
Caitlin Cassidy
Victoria police have issued a $1m reward for information in relation to the suspicious disappearance of Eloise Worledge, five decades since she was last seen.
The reward is the only one of its kind in the state, as it includes payment for information leading to the location or Worledge’s remains, not just regarding a possible perpetrator.
Worledge, then eight, was reported missing by her parents on 13 January 1976. She had last been seen in her bed at home in Beaumaris about 11.40pm the previous night.
The following day, her parents found the fly screen on her window cut and rolled open, however nothing else appeared to have been taken from the room.
Despite the efforts of police, no credible evidence has ever emerged that conclusively explained the girl’s disappearance or identified those responsible.
Detective Insp Dave Dunstan from the missing persons squad said the past decades had been “incredibly difficult for Eloise’s family and to this day, they live with the trauma of her disappearance and it continues to impact them”.
Eloise’s parents not only passed away without ever knowing what became of their daughter, but they also endured years of unfair speculation that they were involved.
PM to speak on hate speech laws
Anthony Albanese is expected to have more to say this morning about the hate speech legislation that he wants to push through parliament next week.
The prime minister confirmed yesterday that parliament would be recalled early for two days on Monday and Tuesday next week to rush through the new laws. Parliament had been due to return for the year on 3 February. The sitting will include condolence motions for the 15 people killed at Bondi last month.
But as Krishani Dhanji reports this morning, there may be a loophole in the bill as it stands which would allow someone accused of hate speech to plead innocent if they had been quoting a religious text in whatever it was they were accused of saying.
Read her full story here:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will be your guide.
Anthony Albanese is expected to address the media very soon to give more details about his government’s plans to crack down on hate speech and antisemitism after the Bondi terror attack. We will have live updates as soon as the prime minister starts speaking.
And Victoria police have issued a $1m reward for information in relation to the suspicious disappearance of Eloise Worledge, five decades since she was last seen.
Stay tuned, as we bring you the latest developments this Tuesday.
