Twisted criminals killed a beloved granny and a kind neighbour. This week in Australia, both got ‘hope for freedom’

This week two separate killers appeared before the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne and received sentences their victims' families have condemned as far too lenient, with both offenders likely to be released well before their full terms expire. The cases, overshadowed by unrelated sporting headlines, have prompted grieving relatives to publicly accuse the justice system of failing them, arguing the sentences offer killers "hope for freedom" while families are left with permanent loss.

Milena Bogojevska, 51, was jailed for eight years, with a non-parole period of six, after bashing 85-year-old Lolene Whitehand, stuffing a sock down her throat and dumping her body in a river, before going on a shopping spree; a plea deal reduced the charge to manslaughter, and she could be free within four years. A day earlier, the same judge, Justice Jacinta Forbes, sentenced carpenter Milorad Zaric, 48, to 21 years and five months, with a non-parole period of 14 years and six months, for fatally stabbing his neighbour Vicky Apostolopoulos, 51, in front of her children in November 2024 while under the influence of ketamine, alcohol and cannabis; with time served, he could be released in just over 12 years. Apostolopoulos's sister and teenage son publicly condemned the sentence as "disgraceful", saying he tackled the attacker to protect his younger brother during the assault.