The following is a statement from Nicolas Parkhill, CEO of NSW’s largest LGBTQ health organisation, ACON, on the arrest of a suspect in the Scott Johnson murder case made on 12 May:
“While ACON cannot comment on the details of this arrest, this has been a very long and extraordinarily difficult process for Scott’s family, friends, and many in the LGBTQ community. We are hopeful that we are now moving to a final resolution in understanding the truth behind what happened to Scott in Manly in 1988.
“For just over three decades, the death of Scott Johnson has created great pain, anguish and anxiety for Scott’s family. We are incredibly grateful for his brother Steve and the whole Johnson family, Dan Glick and others for their relentless and passionate fight for justice and honouring Scott’s life and contribution.
“The deaths and disappearances of gay men and transgender women and the epidemic of violence in Sydney and NSW during the 1970s to 1990s has left a traumatic legacy. Bias-motivated violence and murder are crimes that hurt both physically and emotionally, and the impact is felt deeply, both individually and communally.
“While this is a significant development in this particular case, it highlights the need for ongoing investigation, truth telling and the delivery of justice for so many other gay men and trans people, who were murdered or bashed in similar cases in NSW.
“There were dozens more cases from this time and many remain unsolved leaving dozens of families and loved ones without answers or resolution.
“We commend the NSW Police Force for continuing to investigate this case after numerous coronial inquests, and thank the NSW Government for committing to a $1 million reward in 2018, for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of Mr Johnson’s killer or killers.”
ENDS
David Alexander, ACON Media and Communications
E: dalexander@acon.org.au T: (02) 9206 2044
M: 0428 477 042
