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Two foster children were removed from a home where they had been living with a convicted transgender triple killer, following a raid by armed officers on Monday. Authorities had been aware of the situation since late December 2025, according to reports from Australian radio station 2GB.
Reginald Arthurell, who began transitioning to a woman under the name Regina following release from prison in 2020, had been sharing a residence with a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old for several months. The children were under the care of an elderly woman who had apparently met Arthurell while working at a hospital where Arthurell was a patient.
Kate Washington, the Minister for Families and Communities of New South Wales (NSW), issued a public apology on Tuesday for the failure of child protection services.
“It is entirely unacceptable for a vulnerable child in the care of the state to be living with a triple murderer,” Washington told 2GB. “It should never have happened and I’m deeply apologetic for what has happened.”
The minister acknowledged that “very poor decisions were made” when authorities became aware of the situation. She promised a thorough review of how this arrangement was allowed to continue for months and committed to implementing systemic changes to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The situation has sparked widespread public outrage across Australia, with calls for the resignation of officials who failed to immediately intervene after learning about the children’s living arrangement.
According to local media, Arthurell moved into the existing foster home in Sydney late last year. The foster carer, who was already approved by the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice, invited Arthurell to move in as a housemate. The arrangement reportedly went unnoticed by authorities until the carer’s daughter raised concerns in December.
Arthurell’s violent criminal history spans three decades. Court documents show a first conviction for manslaughter in 1974 for stabbing a stepfather to death in Sydney. In 1981, Arthurell fatally attacked a 19-year-old sailor during a robbery, and while on parole in 1995, killed a fiancée by beating her to death with a piece of wood.
After the third killing, Arthurell was reportedly caught photographing himself wearing one of the victim’s dresses. Court records indicate that alcohol was involved in all three killings, and that Arthurell spent nearly 39 years in custody for these crimes.
Following release from prison in November 2020, Arthurell began transitioning into a woman. The first public photos and self-introductions as Regina appeared on a transgender community Facebook page in May 2021. According to News.com.au, Arthurell had expressed plans to undergo gender-affirming surgery “as soon as possible.”
Court documents described the transition as “taking place over quite some years,” confirming the process was ongoing after release from prison.
ABC Australia reported on Tuesday that Arthurell now remains in private accommodation following Monday’s removal from the foster home. The two children have been relocated to ensure their safety.
The case has highlighted significant failures in New South Wales’ child protection system, with questions being raised about the adequacy of background checks and monitoring of adults who come into contact with foster children. Child welfare advocates have called for a comprehensive review of foster care placement procedures to prevent similar situations in the future.
Neither the Department of Communities and Justice nor the foster carer have responded to requests for detailed comment on how the arrangement was initially established or why it was allowed to continue after officials became aware of Arthurell’s presence in December.
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16 Comments
This is an incredibly disturbing and unacceptable situation that highlights serious flaws in the processes for vetting and monitoring foster care placements. Authorities must conduct a thorough investigation and implement robust new safeguards to prevent such catastrophic failures in the future.
This is an unacceptable and catastrophic failure that put innocent young lives at grave risk. Authorities must conduct a thorough investigation, hold those responsible to account, and implement sweeping reforms to ensure such a breakdown never happens again in the child welfare system.
This is a chilling and profoundly disturbing situation. Authorities must be held accountable for the grave errors that allowed a violent criminal to be placed in a position of care over minors. The wellbeing of the children involved should be the top priority moving forward.
While the details of this case are deeply unsettling, I hope the relevant authorities conduct a thorough investigation to understand how this arrangement was approved and what systemic changes are needed to prevent such lapses in the future. The protection of vulnerable children must be the paramount concern.
This is a deeply troubling situation that raises serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children. Authorities need to thoroughly investigate how this arrangement was allowed to happen and implement robust safeguards to prevent such lapses from occurring in the future.
I agree, the safety of children in the care system must be the top priority. A full review and accountability for this failure is essential.
The idea of a convicted triple murderer living with foster children is absolutely horrifying. There need to be much stricter vetting and monitoring processes in place to protect these young people. This breakdown in the system is completely unacceptable.
Absolutely right. This is an egregious failure that puts vulnerable children at serious risk. Comprehensive reforms are clearly needed to ensure something like this never happens again.
This is a deeply disturbing and unacceptable situation that demands a full, transparent investigation. The safety and wellbeing of children in the care system must be the top priority, and comprehensive reforms are clearly needed to prevent such catastrophic lapses from occurring again.
The details of this case are absolutely shocking and raise serious questions about the vetting and monitoring processes in place for foster care placements. Authorities must act swiftly to investigate this failure and implement stringent new measures to protect vulnerable children.
Placing a convicted triple murderer in a position of care over minors is an absolute travesty and a colossal failure of the child welfare system. Authorities must be held accountable and significant changes implemented to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.
Completely agree. This breakdown is horrifying and underscores the urgent need for sweeping reforms to protect vulnerable children in the care system.
This is a horrific breakdown in the child welfare system that put innocent young lives at grave risk. A full, transparent inquiry is essential to determine how this situation was allowed to occur and to implement robust safeguards to ensure it never happens again.
Agreed, a comprehensive review and accountability are critical to restoring public trust and ensuring the safety of children in the care system.
The details of this case are deeply troubling and raise grave concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children in the care system. Authorities must act swiftly to investigate this failure, hold those responsible accountable, and put in place comprehensive reforms to protect vulnerable young people.
Absolutely. A full, transparent inquiry and decisive action to overhaul the system are essential to restoring public trust and safeguarding the children under the state’s care.