Should a convicted murderer be allowed access to IVF?

A convicted murderer in a Victorian prison has been granted permission to undergo IVF treatment.

Alicia Schiller was sentenced to at least 16 years in prison for the murder of her housemate, Tyrelle Evertsen-Mostert.

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Schiller reportedly plans to fund the fertility treatment herself and raise the child in prison until the age of five, when custody would transfer to her mother.

On today’s special two-part episode of The Briefing, we talk to Victorian Liberal MP Brad Battin and Australian barrister Greg Barnes to discuss the Victorian Government’s decision to allow convicted murderer Alicia Schiller to undergo IVF.

The Victorian Government cites a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that provides a pathway for prisoners to access fertility treatments if they privately fund the costs, including transport and escorts.

This case raises complex questions about prisoner rights, the role of the justice system, and the ethics of allowing convicted criminals the opportunity to conceive a child while serving their sentence.

“What they’re really saying is that a person should be deprived of a right to family, and that should be a part of a prison sentence,” Mr Barnes said.

He argued that convicted murderers should not have the right to conceive a child while in prison.

However, Mr Battin said Schiller should not “have the entitlement to have a child.”

“She is a serious violent offender. She has left behind family and victims, and we need to put the consideration of those victims first, not last, like they’re getting put at the moment.”

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