Jill Meagher - A system that failed

Every now and then something terrible happens to challenge long-accepted, core beliefs of society.

The rape and murder of Louth woman Jill Meagher in Australia by a man already convicted of multiple rapes is one such occasion.

Adrian Bayley was on parole after serving eight years for raping five women. This was the second time he had been jailed for rape and though he expressed some remorse, his record brings his sincerity into question.

Western liberal societies, pluralist or Christian, have nearly all decided the death penalty is an unacceptable punishment. Redemption and renewal may or may not be an option for prisoners but the primary function of a jail is to protect society and punish wrongdoers.

Our jails are so overcrowded, our courts so swamped that it may be possible that our own Adrian Bayley may slip through the net. That would be unforgivable.