David's sister was murdered after she was gang-raped in a despicable crime that shocked Australia. This is his desperate plea to keep the men responsible in jail

WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT 

Every day for the last 36 years, David Balding's life has been consumed by the horror of his 20-year-old sister's death.

He was just 10 years old  when his father told him: 'Your sister has been murdered.'

Janine Balding was abducted from Southerland railway station carpark in Sydney's south by a by a pack of homeless youths while she was on her way home from work in 1988. 

Since then, Mr Balding has found comfort in knowing her killers are behind bars, but now that could all change.

Earlier this month, lawyer and former politician Peter Breen pushed for an inquiry into Stephen 'Shorty' Jamieson, who was convicted in 1990 for raping and killing Ms Balding. 

The judge declared that he, along with the others directly involved, should 'never be released' but Jamieson sought a suite of orders in proceedings against the state Attorney-General at a recent hearing in Sydney's Supreme Court.

His longtime supporter Mr Breen told the court that another man nicknamed 'Shorty' was known in the area at the time and wore a bandana similar to the one found at the crime scene.

It is understood that Mr Breen is arguing DNA testing from this bandana might cast doubt over his client's convictions.

The Attorney-General's written submissions are due May 8 in response to Jamieson's application for an inquiry. 

The matter will return to court on May 13.

Mr Balding is angry and upset that these claims are being brought up again after all these years.

'This is hard to deal with again and again, but someone has to be a voice for Janine and that person is me,' he told news.com.au.

'The sentencing Judge said life recommended, never to be released, and that is exactly how it should be.'

Mr Balding believes the bandana claim is irrelevant, saying multiple witnesses agreed that Jamieson was the right person. 

Wayne Wilmot, 51, who was present on the night but did not physically participate in the crime, was given a lighter sentence.

The 'serial sex offender' is housed at Long Bay Correctional Complex in maximum security, serving sentences for sexual assault and kidnap, unrelated to Ms Balding's case.

He has spent three decades behind bars, with the exception of 20 months in the late 1990's where committed multiple violent assaults and sexual offences against women.

Wilmot remained in custody under continuing detention orders but he is will be released in just a matter of weeks under an interim supervision order which was handed down by NSW Supreme Court Justice Helen Wilson.

He was deemed by the judge to have 'psychopathic personality traits, with no concern or empathy for others and continued to deny or minimise his disturbing history of sexual offences', in an assessment report conducted by a psychologist from the high-risk offender's team in November 2023

The exact date of his release and the location of his accommodation cannot be released due to an order of the court. 

Mr Balding went on to explain how hard it has been seeing these 'so-called boys' try and get out of jail, saying that is where they should die. 

'Why don't we get a Sheila and rape her?' are the chilling nine words which were uttered the night Ms Balding was murdered.

On the morning of September 8, 1988, she parked her car at Sydney's Sutherland train station, before heading into the city for work.

She was walking back to her car that evening when a pack - Stephen 'Shorty' Jamieson, 22, Matthew Elliot, 16, Wayne Wilmot, 15, Bronson Blessington, 14 and Carol Arrow, 15 - approached her with the worst of intentions.   

They distracted Ms Balding by asking her for the time and whether she had any money or cigarettes, one of the youths pulled out a knife and threatened to 'cut her face' if she did not do exactly as he asked.

After snatching the car keys from her hands the she was forced into the back of her own car where she was beaten and raped at knifepoint in the back of her hijacked vehicle. 

Any hope the young woman had of being set free was crushed after one of the youths said: 'I think it's a nice night for a murder...'

The group pulled over on the M4.

They dragged the terrified woman out of the car, the pack gagged Janine with a scarf and hogtied her, before pulling her along the ground and throwing her over a fence.

Elliot, Blessington, and Jamieson carried her to a nearby dam, where they drowned her and stole her jewellery and bank cards. 

The pack left Ms Balding's body there and got back into her car, which broke down shortly after.

After making their way to Mount Druitt by foot, they sold the jewellery and withdrew some cash using her bank cards, before hopping on a train back to the city. 

The next day, Blessington and Elliot took a train to East Gosford where they threw her bank cards into the bushes before stealing another car and driving to a youth centre.

They then confessed to the police about the car theft and hinted at knowing where Ms Balding's body was.  

Ms Balding's parents, Beverley and Kerry, reported her missing.

All five of the group members were charged and faced court over the murder of Janine Balding.

Elliott, Blessington and Jamieson were each given life sentences plus 25 years.

Blessington, who was just 14 at the time, became the youngest person to have ever receive a life sentence in Australia.

The judge in the case called their crimes 'barbaric' and said they should 'never be released'.

Lighter sentences were given to Wilmot and Arrow, after it was found they did not physically participate in the murder.

Looking back, Mr Balding said his sister was kind, loving, fun, and always had time for him even though she lived in Sydney.

He said he knew 'something wasn't right' the day she was killed, even though he didn't fully understand what was going on at the time.

He recalled seeing his mum 'crying and crying' and just knowing that 'Janine was gone'. 

Mr Balding recalled seeing her killers in the courtroom after his sister was murdered.

He said he still remembers how they 'didn't really give a stuff' about what they had done and how he helped his mother with the seemingly endless appeals as he got older. 

'It was important that Janine was and is always represented and still has a voice in this to let people know that she is not forgotten and that her killers will never be forgiven,' he said. 

In October 2013, Beverley passed away after a short stay in hospital.

In March 2022, Kerry also died in hospital.

The pair are buried next to their daughter in Wagga Wagga Lawn Cemetery.

Please reach out for help by contacting Lifeline on 13 11 14.