The tragic Ebony Simpson case and quest for justice will be the topic of a special radio program this weekend.
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The program, entitled What Price Justice? will be broadcast on ABC Radio National this Saturday at 5pm, and repeated on Wednesday at 1pm.
In Bargo in August 1992, nine-year-old Ebony Simpson got off her school bus and began to walk home.
However, she never made it.
With the house in sight, she approached a car that appeared to have broken down.
As she passed, the car’s owner, Andrew Garforth, grabbed her, threw her in the boot and drove off to a remote dam.
Once there, he bound her with wire, raped her and then threw her into the dam.
The crime would devastate the Simpson family and the small town of Bargo.
Garforth would be sentenced to life for his crime, his file marked ‘‘never to be released’’.
The case was featured on the first episode of the new series Crimes That Shook Australia, which premiered earlier this year.
Ebony’s father Pete Simpson now lives in Kiama, and was interviewed for What Price Justice?
“It’s changed my life in every single area,’’ Mr Simpson told journalist William Verity during the program.
‘‘If you are going to ask me how … we will be here for hours.
“Gee, where to start. Don’t know where to start. Even to this day, it just goes on and on and on.
“He used to be in my head quite a lot and in the early days, I wanted to do what we are doing.
“I wanted to sit across from him and eyeball him.
“I wanted to ask him questions … It was very important to me in that time because he has never had to face me.
“This man was always a thief, but he took from me the greatest treasure I have; my youngest baby daughter.”
The program will be replayed on Wednesday at 1pm can also be downloaded or podcast after Saturday here.
kiamaindependent.com.au