Victims slam ‘insensitive’ Ivan Milat terror tour
Backpacker murderer Ivan Milat told detectives he wouldn't reveal any information about his crimes even if they 'put a blowtorch' to his ears or eyes.
A guided tour of the forest where serial killer Ivan Milat buried his victims in southern New South Wales has come under fire from victims of crime who say it is disrespectful to the families of those who died there.
In 1996, Ivan Milat was found guilty of murdering seven people, who were each found buried in Belanglo State Forest.
Since late June a company called Goulburn Ghost Tours has been a running a tour of the forest – billed on its website as the “extreme terror tour”.
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Two ladies on the tour get a photo with the Belanglo State Forest sign. Photo: Facebook
“Come with us to Belanglo where Ivan Milat buried the bodies of his victims,” the website said.
“Once you enter Belanglo State Forrest you may never come out.”
The website said the tour included “paranormal equipment and training”, snacks and billy tea.
The tour starts at 6:00pm in Goulburn and returns from the forest about 3:00am, according to the site.
Robyn Cotterell-Jones, chief executive officer of the NSW Victims of Crime Assistance League, told 666 ABC Canberra the tour was insensitive to the families of people whose bodies were found in forest.
“It’s the complexity of human behaviour isn’t it? We’ve all been basically fascinated by the macabre,” she said.
“But from where I sit, caring for the families of people who have been harmed in all sorts of vicious and violent crimes including murder, every time something like this arises it rips the scars open again.”
Tours ‘very concerning to the families’
Ms Cotterell-Jones said it created an unnecessary reminder for people still suffering as a result of Milat’s crimes.
“The idea so soon after his crimes in the Belangalo, and more recent crimes as well, of having people tramping over the sites that are still very special is very concerning to the families,” she said.
Ms Cotterell-Jones said the trek did not sound like a tour that honoured the dead.
“It sounds like a commercial enterprise scaring people,” she said.
Milat buried his brutally murdered victims in the Belnglo State Forest. Photo: ABC
“They were going to invoke the paranormal and you were warned that you couldn’t get out, if you became too frightened … from the victim’s perspective, have respect.
“Understand, because I can assure you that if one of those people had been one of your loved ones you wouldn’t be doing this.”
In 2010, David Auchterlonie was struck over the head with an axe in the forest, the same place where Milat buried seven victims in the 1990s.
He was lured there on his 17th birthday.
Cohen Klein and Matthew Milat – who is Ivan Milat’s great nephew – pleaded guilty to his murder. Milat, 19, hit the victim with the axe while Klein, 19, made a mobile phone recording.
Controversy took tour company by surprise: volunteer
Goulburn Ghost Tours volunteer Louise Edwards said the company began doing ghost tours “because nobody was interested in plain-old historical tours”.
“We started getting in contact with historical locations and asking them how they felt about doing ghost tours,” she said.
“They were really supportive and helpful … and the money goes back to the historical sites.”
Ms Edwards said the tour of Belanglo had received a good response overall.
“Some people were against it and some voiced that to us,” she said.
“There’s a culture within the paranormal industry of people who are really interested in crime scenes.
“It comes down to a moral predicament, it’s an argument that nobody can win because it comes down to opinion.”
Ms Edwards said the tour was strictly for paranormal purposes, to see if visitors could make contact with ghosts.
She said the group had now applied for a permit to operate tours within Belanglo.