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The grieving parents of a teenager stabbed to death in a busy nightlife precinct have admitted that they will never forgive the teen who took their son’s life.
Apprentice Jack Beasley, 17, was killed during a night out with friends in Surfers Paradise on December 13, 2019 on the Gold Coast by a 15-year-old teen.
Jack’s parents Brett and Belinda Beasley have been the driving force behind a landmark law to target juvenile knife crime.
The couple didn’t hold back when they were asked about their son’s killer after being crowned as Gold Coast Australians of the Year last week.
Mr Beasley was asked if he would ever forgive the teen, who was sentenced to ten years in jail.
‘Never, absolutely not. He was 15-years-old, he took our son’s life. Jack was only 17 and this little grub was 15. No absolutely not,’ he said.
‘I will never forgive what he has done to our son. Our son lost his 18th, his 21st, his whole life having family, having children, getting married, all those milestones.’
The grieving father said that his son’s life was taken for ‘absolutely no reason whatsoever’.
Jack Beasley (pictured) was only 17 when he stabbed to death by a 15-year-old in Surfers Paradise. His killer will be released before he turns 22
Brett and Belinda Beasley (pictured) have been named Gold Coast Australians of the year for their work with the Jack Beasley Foundation. The parents have said they can’t forgive their son’s killer
Mr Beasley added that they received the ‘devastating’ news just two weeks before Christmas.
When Jack’s mother was asked the same question, she said she couldn’t see herself forgiving her son’s killer, who will be out in just seven years.
‘That’s a pretty hard pill to swallow, he’ll be out before he’s 22 and Jack’s life was lost at 17. I can’t say that I won’t (ever forgive), but at this stage, I can’t see it.’
Jack’s mother added that the killer had already ‘taken enough’ from her family and tries not to think about him.
Despite being honoured to receive the award, Ms Beasley wished no-one knew who her and her husband were.
To honour their son Jack and create a legacy for him, the pair started the Jack Beasley Foundation weeks after the 17-year-old’s murder.
The foundation spearheaded Jack’s Law, which gives Queensland Police officers special powers to ‘wand’ (scan a metal detector) over individuals to look for knives without a warrant in entertainment hubs.
Mr Beasley has described his son Jack’s killer (pictured father and son) as a ‘grub’ who robbed his son of life’s milestones, such as marriage
Since Jack’s Law was implemented, it has resulted in more than 800 weapons taken off the Gold Coast streets.
The law has since been adopted by NSW and the Northern Territory, with Western Australia and Victoria also now looking into it.
To help ensure no other family has to go through what they experienced, the Beasleys talk in schools about the impact Jack’s death had on their family and his friends
Their younger son is also involved in the talks, explaining the affect his brother’s murder has had on him, and the family show pictures of Jack’s funeral.
The Beasleys also show pictures of Jack’s friends and images from the scene to show the ‘lifelong trauma’ a single act can have.
