Valerie’s Law: Closing a loophole that lets spouse killers keep parental rights

In The News · Jun 13, 2025 · 28m

Valerie French Kilroy was the mother of three very young boys, an occupational therapist and a much-loved sister and friend.

In June 2019 she was murdered by her husband James Kilroy. She was 41. That he killed her was never in doubt – he admitted it – but the defence put forward at his trial in 2024 was that he was insane when he beat, stabbed and strangled his wife to death.That defence was rejected by the jury and he was convicted of her murder.

For her siblings, including her brother David, Kilroy had committed child harm in that he had robbed three children of their mother. Such a crime…