Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Next Friday 28 October is Day for Daniel. On 7 December 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe set out from his home at Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast to catch a bus to go Christmas shopping for his family using money earned by picking fruit. Daniel never did his Christmas shopping. He was abducted from the local bus stop and murdered by a serial paedophile, Brett Peter Cowan. The case became the biggest in Queensland's criminal history. It was eight years before Cowan was arrested and charged and before Daniels remains were found. It was a further three years before Cowan was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The first Day for Daniel was held in 2005 while his extraordinary parents, Bruce and Denise, were still living in the hell of not knowing what had actually happened. Their inspired decision was to turn Daniel's tragic story into a message of hope to educate our children and our community on the need for greater awareness and personal responsibility around child safety. This became the Morcombes' greatest, selfless and courageous work and their pledge to Daniel's memory. It is why today you see a sea red ribbons around the chamber.