Killer rapist pursued over baby's death

Paul Bailey

Four former acquaintances of convicted rapist and murderer Paul Bailey and his ex-partner are taking legal steps to get police to lay charges against the pair over the death of their 8-week-old daughter more than 16 years ago.

The group met in Invercargill at the weekend for the first time since the April 1989 death to prepare for a campaign they hope will keep one of New Zealand's worst sex offenders behind bars.

They were all at Bailey's Ettrick house on the night of the incident that claimed baby Linda Rose's life. They believe they have enough evidence for a formal inquest, which has never been conducted.

Last month, police reopened their own inquiries into the baby's death but recently suggested they had no new evidence.

The group of two men and two women want formal charges to be laid against Bailey, who is in jail for the rape and murder of Owaka schoolgirl Kylie Smith, and the baby's mother, who is thought to be living in Australia.

One of the group is understood to be a woman who was repeatedly raped by Bailey in the Central Otago township in the late 1980s. Bailey was sentenced last month to three years' imprisonment for those crimes.

At the time of the baby's death, the woman was reported as saying Bailey dropped the badly burned baby three times on the way to the bathroom before submerging her for long periods under cold water.

The group's efforts are being co-ordinated by the Sensible Sentencing Trust as it seeks to prolong Bailey's time in prison. A television documentary on their efforts is also being filmed.

Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said yesterday that separate and verified briefs of evidence had been prepared by each person. Trust lawyers had been working on the case for some time.

The briefs painted a "very suspicious picture" of what happened the night Linda Rose was burned. She died the next day.

Each member of the group was convinced there was enough evidence to suggest both Bailey and the baby's mother were culpable in her death.

Mr McVicar said the group was determined to keep Bailey in prison.

"You're not talking about one of New Zealand's shining citizens here. Bailey cannot be rehabilitated. And one day he will get out. There's no way, under this country's parole system, that he can stay there forever."

Mr McVicar said the move for fresh charges and the filming of the documentary were aimed at putting pressure on politicians to take a tougher stance against serious offenders.

He hoped lawyers acting for the group would meet police soon to discuss the next step.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES