Father of little girl killed in one of Australia’s ‘most evil’ crimes speaks ten years after murder
It has been ten years since eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu was strangled to death and sexually assaulted in a Perth shopping centre.
It was considered one of the ‘most evil’ crimes Western Australian police had seen, with officers and lawyers reportedly claiming it was the worst murder case they had encountered.
Despite the pain Sofia’s family has endured since the horrific crime, her father told News Corp that he has no anger or hatred.
Gabriel Rodriguez told News Corp that his family had chosen to focus on remembering his daughter, not what happened to her on June 26, 2006.
Dante Wyndham Arthurs, who was 21 at the time, followed Sofia into a shopping centre toilet.
He then strangled the little girl to death and sexually assaulted her.
Sofia’s body was found on the bathroom floor after Arthurs fled the scene.
“She was an absolutely gorgeous, normal girl,” Mr Rodriguez said.
“We don't have anger in our family.”
He hoped his daughter’s killer would never be released from prison.
“I wouldn’t like to see him come out, I don’t think he would make a contribution to our society,” he said.
In 2019, Arthurs will be eligible for parole.
Homicide laws in Western Australia allow magistrates the power to jail child killers for life.
After Sofia’s death it was revealed Arthurs had stalked at least 10 other young girls.
“What happened was just unimaginable, it was the worst luck ever, but it could have happened to anybody. I think that's why the community has felt so strongly,” Mr Rodriguez said.
News break – June 20
