Aussie Pardoned 86 Years After Execution

New tests reveal evidence flaw that went undetected in 1921
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2008 6:27 AM CDT
Aussie Pardoned 86 Years After Execution
An Australian man has been pardoned 86 years after his execution for a rape and murder in Melbourne.   (Shutterstock.com)

An Australian man hanged for raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl has been pardoned 86 years after his execution, Reuters reports. Hairs found in his bed that were said to belong to the victim weren’t hers, recent tests showed. The attorney general said the case was a warning against the use of the death penalty, which hasn't been imposed in Australia since 1967.

“It is a tragedy for everyone involved that the actual perpetrator was not caught, and an innocent man lost his life,” said the murder victim’s niece. (More Australia stories.)

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