Port Arthur survivor criticises 60 Minutes interview
A survivor of the Port Arthur massacre has criticised 60 Minutes for interviewing the mother of mass murderer Martin Bryant.
- Published by David Knox
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A survivor of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre has criticised 60 Minutes for interviewing Carleen Bryant, the mother of mass murderer Martin Bryant.
Bryant was interviewed by Charles Woolley for a story in which she spoke about her son whom she has previously described as “a monster.” She told Woolley her son had never explained his actions to her and that she feared for own life in the anger that swept the country. He now refuses to see her.
But others have criticised the interview.
Survivor Anne Francis said Bryant needed to let them all move on.
“I can understand that she could be distressed, but doesn’t she have the grace to shut up?” she told News Limited.
“When’s it going to stop?”
It is only the second time Bryant has spoken publicly about the massacre caused by her son, which remains Australia’s worst mass murder.
Controversially, she told Woolley she regrets telling her son to plead guilty.
“Martin always, when he was questioned, probably for weeks after, before I saw him again, he always said he was never in Port Arthur at Broad Arrow,” she said.
“I know there’ll be a lot of people out there that’ll be condemning me for even coming on this program but I want to be able to help Martin.”
Martin Bryant has been held in the hospital ward at Hobart’s Risdon Prison since he was jailed in November 1996 for murdering 35 people and injuring many others.
Source: News Limited., NineMSN
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18 Responses
Was this a conspiracy to disarm Australia of it’s guns?
everyone agrees it was the worst unnatural event that has occurred in Australian history ,that we are aware of. but if you want to know the real truth about how and why it was done. a man wrote a book about this and after extensive research came up with some really disturbing questions and sadly ,still to this day have not been answered. i suggest that if you believe every thing you see on TV, don’t read this and go back and sit in front of the idiot box. other wise search a man called Joe Vialls,and you will see for your self.this book is not for the faint hearted,it made me cringe and sick to the stomach,but it left me asking the same questions.i found myself been part of a witch hunt when all of this happened,until some one put a book in my hands and said read this. if you can do this you will find that he is not the monster they say he is ,the real monsters are the ones that convicted him with absolutely no evidence at all.say what you want, but before you do get the facts right and ask your self where was the proof?
Whilst this was a very sad and horrific event 15 years ago i dont think that Bryant’s mother should be critisised at all she was just giving her side of the story thats all. I think that everyone at some point needs to be heard. 60 minutes offered Carleen that chance.
If she believes he didn’t do it, why did she call him a monster and advise him to plead guilty. I would say 60 Minutes paid her to say he didn’t do it otherwise there would be no story.
I agree with Mac below. I believe that the Mother has a right to tell her side of the story. All too often the family of the perpetrator are either ignored or are looked down upon when they have done nothing wrong and are also suffering. I had no problem with 60 Minutes airing it and I’m sure many others wanted to hear what the woman had to say.
I’d have to say 60 minutes have beat this up again…
Clearly, the fruit hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
@Denis, what’s with the ‘greatest marksman’ comment? I’m pretty appalled by what you’ve written. You almost seem to be in awe of a person who systematically gunned down 35 innocent people. You might want to spend a few minutes reflecting on how your words sound and how that would impact on a victim’s family and friends. And what trial are you referring to? The one where he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences?
David, I’m a little surprised you didn’t let this one through to the keeper.
Agreed.
Approving a lot of comments on this site, sometimes even I slip up. I have now deleted that comment. Apologies for any offence.
@ Denis
You want to be careful writing stuff like that, it makes you seem either sick or immature. There’s nothing skilful or SAS-like about shooting 20 people point blank in a cafe with an assault rifle and then shooting 15 more people as they walked in the streets or hid terrified behind cars and trees.
Bryant is clearly deranged. There is no question that it was him and he’s is locked away for his and our good. This is not a Lindy Chamberlain situation.
Show a little respect to the victims please.
As an interviewer Charles Woolley doesn’t make for a good one, he cames across more suited to be ‘the aussie bloke’ on a Holidays related show than something like 60 Minutes.
Whether it could be said she deserves to of gotten a public platform such as a program like 60 Minutes to air her views, is for every viewer to have an opinion on for or against. But what was most obvious was the bias approach 60 Minutes had in regards to her, it was their iintention for her only to be seen in a bad light, by her own words spoken, and their own countering to that, and that of having a questionable, not unbias, ‘professional’, to be the only other speaker in the piece really.
It came across to me as just cheap media, which 7 and 9 are falling more and more under doing now. Their main goal is to see who is going to top the other in the ratings of a week, by whatever means. 10, 2, and SBS are far more interesting places to go to get News information from.
I can understand the mother (any mother) defending their child but maybe we should be blaming 60 Minutes for making a story out? Does this really need to be bought up again? This belongs on ACA.
No maybe if Martin Bryant has proclaimed his innocence all of a sudden then that could be a story. Was the evidence their to convict him?
Its a hard one this. while I really feel that after all this time one should let sleeping dogs lie I agree that the family of perpetrators lose a voice and their rights. I also agree that the bits I saw of this last night I thought of the victim’s families and cringed. As arm chair critics this is an incredible tale of loss and sadness that should be respected for All involved. I however question the motives of 60 minutes who used to tackle the hard stories and are now no better than vulture tabloid 2-bit journalists
You’re the mother of a serial killer, you get no sympathy from me.
you have to feel sorry for her dont you
Well I was thinking many innocent people have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit (he may have just said he did those crimes due to mental illness?)but surely the witnesses that were there on that dreadful day would have recognised the photo of Bryant that has been in our faces for the last 15 years as the same man that committed those crimes? If it was not him wouldn’t at least one of those witnesses have spoken up and said this is not the man that shot all those people?
Confused. How as he never at the scene?? Why does she belief that? Didn’t they arrest him there? I was very young when that happened, cant quite remember everything.
Such a paradox. The grief, guilt and turmoil of a parent of someone guilty or such a heinous act is a compelling story that is seldom heard. But the pain of the victims families is much more in need of understanding and accomodation. I think it is wrong to deny Mrs. Bryant a voice while she shows remorse and empathy for the victims though.