Pursuit of justice for Koeleman continues

It’s been over nine years since Frits Maaten claimed he would devote the rest of his life to seeing justice served for Jamie Koeleman. He has certainly stayed true to his word.

Koeleman was jailed in 1999 for the murder of gay businessman Francis Barry Arnoldt who was found stabbed to death in Brunswick in 1991. Maaten is still fighting for Koeleman’s release.

A hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal will determine whether to overturn a Victoria Police decision to deny Maaten access to photos he says may prove Koeleman is innocent.

Maaten, who authored a book about the case called Justice for Jamie: The Mistaken Incarceration of Jamie Koeleman, was advised by Attorney-General Rob Hulls last year to make a submission to the Justice Department for a petition for mercy.

A petition for mercy ultimately goes to the state Governor who has the power to grant Koeleman an early release by fresh appeal, a retrial or pardon.

As part of his submission, Maaten requires photos of the injuries sustained by the victim, which he says are -œcrucial to the case and are in the hands of police.

-œI don’t believe the reasons police are giving us are genuine for denying access to these photos because they’re only going into the hands of the pathologist to go into the submission to the Attorney-General, Maaten told Southern Star.

Maaten has commissioned a pathologist on a pro bono basis to assist with the submission.

-œThis could be the key to Jamie’s application. For the sake of justice, I’ll keep going he said.

Maaten said it’s nearly the last chance for Jamie, who has served 10 years of a minimum 15 year sentence, to clear his name.

The hearing is adjourned until Friday December 19 at VCAT.